Arcadis develops and implements new building standard to accelerate the roll-out of offshore wind energy

Amsterdam, January 27 2022: Arcadis (EURONEXT: ARCAD), the leading global design and consultancy organization for the natural and built environment, is supporting high-voltage grid operator, TenneT develop and implement a standard design for future 2GW land converter stations to boost the rollout of renewable wind energy and support energy transition. The new standard design will be implemented at three locations across the Netherlands.

The new stations will connect the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm to be built in the North Sea with the high-voltage grid on land. These land converter stations meet the new 2-GigaWatt (GW) standard that TenneT developed to accelerate the roll-out of offshore wind. One

land station will be located at Borssele in the province of Zeeland and the two others on the Maasvlakte near Rotterdam. This contract will initially be worth 4.75 million euros.

The new standard will help reduce the costs of offshore wind and minimizes the impact on space and the environment. Furthermore, capacity will more than double compared to the previous 900 MW HVDC standard that TenneT applied in Germany and almost triples compared to the Dutch 700 MW AC standard for connecting offshore wind farms to the high-voltage grid. With the ambition to accelerate the production of renewable wind energy, future wind farms will be designed to the 2GW standard. The first grid connection is planned for 2028.

The three land stations are the first projects to be delivered in accordance with this new standard and Arcadis will manage the detailed design, planning and tender process for the new buildings. The designs will also consider the full life cycle of the asset, including maintenance and operation. The energy generated by the offshore wind turbines will be brought onshore via direct current cables and must be converted in the land stations into 380 kilovolts alternating current for the high-voltage grid. The high voltage components will be designed and supplied by a specialized company.

Frank Goossensen, Sales & Business Development Director, Resilience at Arcadis said:

“Investing in renewable energy and developing the infrastructure required for a greener future are both key when it comes to realizing the world’s net zero ambitions. Capturing the energy from wind is a powerful means for achieving this goal, and our work with TenneT to develop a design standard that will support accelerated roll-out and boost capacity marks a crucial step in providing future generations with affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.”

For more information about our work on the Energy Transition and the ‘Supercharging Net Zero’ research paper, please visit: https://www.arcadis.com/energytransition.