The Netherlands – bp has submitted bids for two offshore wind leases in the Netherlands, with a combined generating capacity of 1.4GW.
bp has submitted a bid for the rights to develop sites VI and VII of the Hollandse Kust (west) Wind Farm Zone (HKW). HKW is located 53 kilometers off the west coast of the country and contains two wind farm sites totaling 176 square kilometers.
Bids for Site VI will be judged according to eco-innovation criteria, with bp proposing to develop innovative solutions to improve the Dutch North Sea ecosystem. The bid includes an unprecedented level of innovation, with nearly €75 million committed to improving the marine environment, supporting advanced ecosystem data analysis, and establishing a new Netherlands North Sea Offshore Wind Ecological Innovation Hub to facilitate further research and collaboration.
Bids for Site VII will be judged on their ability to integrate systems, and bp’s bid focuses on coupling offshore wind power generation with new, flexible demand in the Rotterdam area.
Matching power demand
The bid proposes to combine wind farms with 500MW electrolysis to produce 50,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year to meet BP’s Rotterdam refinery demand and support 10,000 barrels per day of sustainable aviation fuel production, if awarded.
Furthermore, the bid proposes to integrate a new electric-powered boiler and super heater for BP’s Rotterdam refinery, as well as a utility-scale battery to support asset integration, and newly-developed flexible electric vehicle charging stations with integrated batteries and low-carbon multi-energy logistics hubs, complemented by demand shifting solutions.
Additional innovative digital grid optimization and stabilization solutions will be used to match demand for power to the HKW wind power output as part of these investments. bp will create a skills and entrepreneurship incubator to help local workers develop the skills they need to work in these new industries. In addition to the offshore wind investment, bp expects to invest up to €2 billion in the decarbonization of flexible demand.
