The Netherlands devise plan for artificial island to support world’s largest wind farm

The operator of the Dutch electric grid, TenneT, has created a plan that will see the upcoming wind farm – to be located in the Dogger Bank – supported by an artificial island.

The Dogger Bank is situated approximately 100km from the coast of East Yorkshire in the UK, and will soon host the world’s largest wind farm.

Around 20,000 years ago when sea levels were 100m lower, the bank was landmass, known as Doggerland, which has resulted in what is now a sandbank in shallow water.

Due to the shallowness, the location is ideal for building an artificial island on, as well as supporting up to 200 turbines.

SEE ALSO:

• Vikings offshore wind farm makes first power delivery to the grid

• India receives $400mn funding for new solar and wind farms

• Orsted and Vattenfall want to build three large-scale wind farms off the Norfolk coast

• Read the latest issue of Energy Digital here

The location will also allow the renewable electricity generated from the wind farm to reach five countries – the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany.

Due to the nature of offshore wind farms needing to be near land or have additional equipment that reaches land, TenneT proposes that it develops a current converter.

“The big challenge we are facing towards 2030 and 2050 is onshore wind is hampered by local opposition and nearshore is nearly full,” reported Rob van der Hage, TenneT’s Program Manager, to the guardian.

“It’s logical we are looking at areas further offshore,” van der Hage added.

The equipment would convert the alternating current to direct current for the Dogger Bank wind farm, allowing to then be transported to the five nations.