SSE Renewables and Canada-headquartered Brookfield are bidding together in the 1.4 GW Hollandse Kust West offshore wind farm zone tenders in the Netherlands, launched on 14 April.
According to the two companies, the 50/50 partnership combines SSE Renewables’ experience in developing, constructing and operating offshore wind farms with Brookfield’s development experience and specialism in contracting long-term offtake agreements with corporate counterparties through its Brookfield Renewable platform.
SSE Renewables announced plans to bid for the 1.4 GW wind farm zone at the beginning of this year. As part of its tender submission, the company is working with Microsoft and Avanade to establish a digital research project on the impacts of the wind farm on the surrounding ecosystem, and has recently chosen the Port of Den Helder for the operations and maintenance (O&M) base.
Brookfield is pursuing this partnership through the Brookfield Global Transition Fund I, which is the largest fund in the world focused on the energy transition, according to the company, targeting a USD 15 billion (around EUR 14 billion) close in the coming weeks.
The Hollandse Kust West tenders are being held to award permits to develop two individual 700 MW sites within the wind farm zone located approximately 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast.
The maximum number of turbines to be installed at each site is 60, with an individual rated capacity of at least 14 MW.
Under the rules of the tendering procedure, half of the points-based system is focused on innovation. This is also the first time a financial bid by a potential developer is added to the selection process, with the bid in this tender capped at EUR 50 million.
The application window for Hollandse Kust West closes on 12 May and results are expected to be announced in October.