The reason TenneT is investing in these so-called outlets is because more and more wind farms are being built. “Even at a very fast pace,” says Beekhuis. ‘To take just one example, about 4.5 gigawatts of capacity must come from offshore wind farms. In 2030, seven years from now, it should be 21 gigawatts. That’s the rate we’re talking about, and that means we have to go further into the North Sea to be able to dispose of all the turbines.”
And the further away from home outlets, the more cost-effective it is, according to Beekhuis, to install central points to which to connect wind farms. These holds are an example of that, she says.
7 million homes
The conversion platforms, which do not supply electricity directly but send direct current to the mainland, have a capacity of 22 gigawatts. Compared to the 3 kilowatt connections in Dutch homes, one of those conversion platforms then supplies enough electricity to power 7 million homes. “And we don’t even have 7 million houses in the Netherlands,” Beekhuis continues. “Tennet itself says the conversion platform generates as much power as 22 power plants.”
“In the Netherlands we don’t even have 7 million houses”
While the grid manager himself speaks of “one of the most important infrastructure projects of the century”, Beekhuis says that a new phase for offshore wind seems to have begun. “Until now, a wind farm cable went to a power plant,” he continues. ‘And now, as people are a little bit further from the coast, it suddenly becomes useful to build those conversion rigs. This makes it a new stage. Also because the expansion is going so fast, so I understand the pride.’