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TenneT tenders for artificial Island

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 14/02/2017 4C Offshore
TenneTTenneT, a transmission system operator active in Germany and the Netherlands, has launched a tender for market consultation focussing on a concept which could provide an offshore grid connection through an artificial island.

TenneT is investigating how from 2023 wind farms in the IJmuiden Ver area could be connected to the Dutch onshore grid.

IJmuiden Ver is further from the coast than any of its TenneT's previous projects and to connect this wind area to the onshore grid substantial pieces of equipment will need to be supported. TenneT stated that this can be done with jackets or gravity-based structures, but is investigating whether an artificial island could be considered as an alternative.

The consultation is to be started in Q1 2017 and concerns the feasibility and costs of development for the artificial island.

TenneT first presented an artificial island concept in June 2016 for the connection of wind farms in the North Sea with a capacity of up to 30GW. In its release, the company stated that IJmuiden Ver was an area which could potentially play host to an artificial island with possible cooperation with UK wind energy area, such as East Anglia.

By building an island surrounded by wind farms at a relatively short distance, TenneT expects that the cost benefits associated with near-shore wind projects could be applied to those further from shore. The smaller distance between the wind turbines and island will allow use of the far cheaper alternating current (AC) connections. Converters on the island could covert the electricity to DC for transmission ashore, minimising losses. This also eliminates the need to build offshore platforms.

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