Press Release – Vattenfall introduces itself to offshore supply chain in North Sea Canal region
During an informal meeting of Amsterdam IJmuiden Offshore Ports (AYOP) and the Netherlands Wind Energy Association (NWEA) on Thursday 26 September, Vattenfall introduced itself as a potential future partner for companies and public authorities active in the wind power sector in the North Sea Canal Area. Vattenfall explained the setup, planning and timing of the Hollandse Kust Zuid III and IV wind farms, and informed the nearly one hundred attendees about the opportunities this would bring, especially in terms of potential future requests for products and services.
Employment
After a welcome speech by the chairman of AYOP, Ron Davio, Vattenfall was welcomed to the region by the mayor of Velsen, Frank Dales. “Our region wants to become the wind capital of Europe. We have everything we need to fulfil this ambition: strong winds and first-class training institutions and facilities.”
Dales emphasised the benefits this would bring to the region in terms of employment and talked about the efforts the local authorities were putting in place to make it happen. “We still have too few technical courses. The municipality of Velsen is doing everything it can to change this – for instance, we are working closely with Techport on this issue.”
Good for Dutch industry
The chairman of NWEA (the Dutch Wind Energy Association) Hans Timmers explained what the tender won by Vattenfall means for Dutch industry. “Many companies will benefit from the arrival of Vattenfall. These wind farms are the largest in the Netherlands and will provide lots of local opportunities in terms of training, employment and the local supply chain. Moreover, the large scale will give us international spin-off potential, including an excellent export position as wind energy in the North Sea grows in the coming years.”
Cooperation with local suppliers
Keld Bennetsen, Vattenfall’s project director for Hollandse Kust Zuid, explained what the upcoming project phase would look like. “The subsidy-free wind farms in the Netherlands represent major projects for us – the Netherlands is one of Vattenfall’s key markets. We plan to fully involve local suppliers and educational institutes, and are looking for partnerships.”
The construction of the Hollandse Kust I and II wind farms is expected to start mid-2022. Vattenfall will commission partners for maintenance vessels and services. Director of O&M Offshore Vattenfall, Erik Hiensch, told the attendees about the operation & maintenance setup of the project and the related opportunities. The AYOP and NWEA members present were invited to act on this information individually or in collaboration with each other.
At the end of the meeting, Dales presented Bennetsen and Hiensch with the AYOP Essential Guide, a presentation of the association and the business activities of its 75-plus members.
Tender winners
Earlier this summer it was announced that the permit for the construction of the Hollandse Kust Zuid III and IV wind farms in the North Sea had been granted to Vattenfall. The company, which had previously already won tenders for Hollande Kust Zuid I and II, will therefore be operating one of the world’s largest wind energy parks in this region. The park is the fourth of five wind energy projects in the North Sea that will be operational in 2023.
About Amsterdam IJmuiden Offshore Ports
Amsterdam IJmuiden Offshore Ports (AYOP) is an association of companies and government bodies in the North Sea Canal region that focus on the offshore extraction of oil, gas and wind energy. AYOP promotes the region to companies within the Netherlands and abroad as an ideal place to establish themselves. In addition, the association helps its members find innovative business cases and opportunities in the offshore sector. AYOP also stimulates cooperation and knowledge exchange among its members via activities such as regular member meetings.
