SSE, APG, and TenneT partner on 2GW IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore grid connection.

SSE Renewables and pension fund ABP’s investment arm APG have signed a realisation agreement with TenneT for the Dutch offshore grid connection of the 2GW IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore wind farm in the Netherlands.

The agreement covers the development and construction of the necessary grid infrastructure to connect the wind farm to the Dutch high-voltage grid.

To be built approximately 62km off the Dutch coast, the IJmuiden Ver Alpha project is part of the Netherlands’ offshore wind expansion plans and is expected to be commissioned by the end of this decade.

SSE Renewables and the APG consortium won the tender for the offshore wind farm in June 2024. The joint venture (JV) partners were awarded seabed rights for the wind farm by the Dutch government in July 2024.

Electricity generated from the IJmuiden Ver Alpha facility will be transmitted via high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables to a converter station in Borssele, where it will be converted to alternating current (AC) for distribution to end users.

The grid connection is expected to be operational by the end of 2029.

Once operational, the IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore wind farm is expected to generate renewable energy sufficient to meet around 7% of the Netherlands’ current electricity demand.

It will also contribute to the Dutch government’s target of 21GW of offshore wind capacity by 2032 and 50GW by 2040.

SSE Renewables Netherlands country manager Jasper Vis said: “With the signing of the realisation agreement, we are taking another important step to progress development of the 2 GW Alpha site in the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone.

“This represents an unrivalled opportunity for our consortium of SSE Renewables with ABP/APG to work collaboratively with TenneT to realise the potential of this innovative new 2GW offshore wind farm.”

The IJmuiden Ver Alpha offshore wind farm’s development criteria included environmental measures aimed at minimising ecological impact and enhancing biodiversity.

In collaboration with the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the consortium will study how offshore wind farms can contribute to ecosystem conservation.

Subject to a final investment decision, SSE Renewables will lead the construction of the Dutch offshore wind project on behalf of the consortium.

The IJmuiden Ver Alpha project is slated to become the first offshore wind farm in Dutch waters to be connected using TenneT’s new 2GW offshore substation platform.

TenneT chief operating officer Maarten Abbenhuis said: “Together, we are ambitious to successfully develop this first 2GW connection and the wind farm. It is an important step in making the Dutch energy supply more sustainable for consumers and industry.

“Moreover, with this first 2GW project, the Netherlands is once again showing that the energy transition and attention to the impact on nature go well together.”