The consortium including Van Oord and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has been selected by Windpark Fryslan B.V. as the preferred contractor for the construction of the Fryslan nearshore wind farm.
The wind farm will contain 89 wind turbines with a capacity of 4.3 MW each in the Frisian section of the IJsselmeer Lake, next to the Afsluitdijk dam, in the Netherlands.
The nomination as preferred main contractor also includes construction of a nature conservation island next to the Afsluitdijk dam.
By using soil material from the IJsselmeer Lake, two hectares of new land and 25 hectares of sheltered shallow water will be created. The island will be used during the construction phase and will be transformed next to a nature conservation area. New natural areas will develop on the banks of the island, both above and below water, Siemens Gamesa said in its release.
“Building the Fryslan nearshore wind farm is an important step forward in meeting the climate objectives, both national as for the Province of Friesland. Contributing to the energy transition is contributing to a better world for future generations. It is great to part of this, ” said Arnoud Kuis, Managing Director Offshore Wind at Van Oord.
The final contracts for the construction are expected to be signed later this year, according to the official announcement.
The entire project involves an investment amount of over EUR 500 million.
Construction works are set to start in 2019 and Fryslân nearshore wind farm is planned to be in full operation by mid 2021.