Swedish energy player Vattenfall has partnered with German chemicals giant BASF to bid in the zero-subsidy tender for the Hollandse Kust West zone in the Dutch North Sea. Vattenfall will jointly bid with BASF for the 700 MW Hollandse Kust West VI area and alone for the also 700 MW Hollandse Kust West VII area.

The Hollandse Kust West wind farm zone is located approximately 53 km off the west coast of the Netherlands, auctioned in two separate tenders. To win the tender for site VI the bidding parties have to include ecological measures in their concept, whereas site VII requires investments and innovations that are beneficial for the Dutch energy system. The tenders for both sites close on May 12, 2022. A decision on who won the tender is expected after the summer.

Vattenfall and BASF are currently jointly building Hollandse Kust Zuid, the world’s first subsidy-free offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea. Vattenfall develops and operates 15 offshore wind farms and aims to be net zero in 2040, while BASF aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 and by that time projects that 100% of its 2021 global power demand will be obtained from renewable sources.

The partners are looking to minimising the impact projects have on the ecosystem and aim for a net positive impact on biodiversity in 2030. To that extent, Vattenfall has built its own dedicated environment and sustainability unit,?including an in-house bioscience department, which at Hollandse Kust Zuid, kick-started a joint study with nature conservation organisation De Rijke Noordzee to find out if nature-inclusive turbine foundation design can benefit the local ecosystem.

“We leverage our strengths as a leading offshore wind developer and industrial player, both deeply committed to sustainability and biodiversity preservation, to develop an ecologically beneficial project. We believe that offshore wind growth needs to be developed in co-existence with nature and society to facilitate a sustainable future. Our HKW bid involves significant investment as well as world-first innovations to benefit naturally occurring biodiversity in the Dutch North Sea and a sustainable offshore wind sector,” said Dr. Eva Philipp, head of the environment and sustainability unit at Vattenfall.