The Netherlands – RWE is going to build a large wind farm off the coast of IJmuiden. It was announced today that the energy group has won a bidding war between several major parties. It also means that the construction of a huge, 600 megawatt, green hydrogen plant is a step closer.
Of the bidders, RWE had the most innovative plans, according to the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate which organized the auction. In addition to a financial bid of up to 50 million euros, the ministry was also looking at technologies to make the supply of green power from the sea work well. RWE trumps several renowned corporate tandems with this. Energy companies Ørsted and TotalEnergies also submitted a joint bid, as did Shell and Eneco and Vattenfall and BP. The Hollandse Kust West wind farm consists of two lots, located more than 50 kilometers off the coast near IJmuiden. The total electrical capacity of both future wind farms is 1.4 gigawatts. RWE’s lot provides about half of that power. Interested parties, in addition to bidding up to 50 million euros, could earn additional “points” with techniques that further help the energy transition.
Hydrogen plant
Among other things, RWE wants to use 600 megawatts of power for the production of green hydrogen, which the group plans to use at its power plant in Eemshaven and Amer power plant. A 50-megawatt green hydrogen plant was already planned in Eemshaven that will receive green power from RWE’s local Westereems wind farm. The company did not hide the fact that its ambitions are greater. Earlier, it expressed its desire to expand the hydrogen plant to 600 megawatts, the largest in the Netherlands, not much later. However, it depended on permission to build and operate Hollandse Kust West. So now that RWE has won the bid, the construction of the hydrogen plant is also a big step closer.
The party that wins the bid for the second lot will be announced in December.
