Lloyds List: Shell's Nuon win Dutch windfarm deal: “Shell and Nuon will spend € 200m to install the wind turbines and subsea cables starting in the fourth quarter of this year and continuing into the autumn of 2006.” (ShellNews.net) Posted 3 June 05

SHELL and Dutch energy group Nuon have gained government approval to build the Netherlands' first offshore windfarm with a €200m ($246m) investment programme, writes Martyn Wingrove.

A 36 wind turbine project will be built, 10 km off the coast of Egmond aan Zee by joint venture NoordzeeWind and construction contractor Ballast Nedam.

Shell and Nuon will spend € 200m to install the wind turbines and subsea cables starting in the fourth quarter of this year and continuing into the autumn of 2006.

'The development of offshore wind farms in Europe is in line with our strategy to continue to develop sources of sustainable energy,' said Shell's Dutch president Rein Willems.

Danish group Vestas will supply the turbines and Ballast Nedam will be responsible for offshore construction work, including piling and installing the turbine towers.

Initially the power cables between the wind farm transformer, sited in 18 m of water, and a grid connection point at Velsen will be installed.

Turbine foundations will be driven 30 m into the seabed during the second quarter of 2006, after which the turbines and linking power cables will be installed.

Shell expects first electricity production from the Egmond aan Zee windfarm to be at the end of 2006.

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