Construction of Vattenfall's Farm project, situated in the Netherlands, has been pushed back to 2032. The project will be constructed in two phases.
The IJmuiden Ver Beta offshore wind farm project, a joint venture between Vattenfall and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) in the Netherlands, has experienced a delay in its completion timeline. The project, initially scheduled for completion in late 2029, will now be fully completed by 2032 [2][4].
The primary cause of this delay is the postponement of the hydrogen pipeline infrastructure, which is crucial for transporting green hydrogen produced via the electrolyser plant powered by this offshore wind farm [4]. As a result, the 2GW capacity of the wind farm will now be commissioned in two phases: the first 1GW coming online in 2029 and the second 1GW by 2032 [3].
The delay also affects the associated green hydrogen project, specifically the 1GW Zeevonk electrolyser plant, which has been reduced to a 500MW capacity by 2033 instead of 1GW [1][3]. This scaling down and postponement may increase the project’s complexity and could potentially increase overall costs, though exact figures are not specified in the sources.
Additionally, the floating solar farm component attached to this project is also facing delays due to the hydrogen infrastructure bottleneck, impacting the entire project’s integrated timeline [1][3].
The Dutch government has intervened by amending contract terms to manage the impact of these delays on the broader renewable infrastructure targets, which may also influence future financing and cost distribution [5].
In other related news, the release and signing of the new Climate and Energy Memorandum are scheduled for September. The memorandum is expected to lower the 2040 offshore wind target of 50GW to 30-40GW [3]. Hermans, the minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, stated that the changes were necessary for Zeevonk to realize the wind farm [6].
The North Sea Wind Energy Infrastructure Plan, which includes a 2GW offshore wind farm, a 50MW floating offshore solar farm, and a 1GW electrolyser plant, was presented to Parliament by Hermans [7]. The minimum required capacity of system integration measures, such as electrolysers, will be reduced to at least 500MW. The obligation to realise the offshore solar farm will be adjusted to an innovative character project [8].
Green hydrogen produced at Maasvlakte could be transported to customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany through the Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC), though specific details about the lowering of the offshore wind target in the new plan were not provided by Hermans [9]. The total amount Zeevonk must pay has been reduced to EUR 400 million [10].
[1] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8202/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-will-now-be-built-in-two-phases] [2] [https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/offshore/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-delayed-until-2032-due-to-hydrogen-pipeline-issues/1-1-720364] [3] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8204/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-will-be-built-in-two-phases-and-its-electrolyser-will-be-smaller] [4] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8200/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-delayed-due-to-hydrogen-pipeline-issues] [5] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8204/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-will-be-built-in-two-phases-and-its-electrolyser-will-be-smaller] [6] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8204/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-will-be-built-in-two-phases-and-its-electrolyser-will-be-smaller] [7] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8201/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-will-now-be-built-in-two-phases] [8] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8201/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-will-now-be-built-in-two-phases] [9] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8200/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-delayed-due-to-hydrogen-pipeline-issues] [10] [https://www.windfair.net/news/8202/ijmuiden-ver-beta-wind-farm-will-now-be-built-in-two-phases]
- The delay in the completion of the IJmuiden Ver Beta offshore wind farm project, a joint venture between Vattenfall and CIP, has potential implications for the finance industry, as the overall costs for the project might increase due to complexities arising from the scaling down and postponement of phases.
- The Dutch government, in an effort to manage the impact of delays on renewable infrastructure targets, has intervened by amending contract terms for the IJmuiden Ver Beta project, which may influence future financing and cost distribution within the renewable-energy industry.
- The connected green hydrogen project, specifically the 1GW Zeevonk electrolyser plant, has been reduced to a 500MW capacity, potentially affecting the finance sector's involvement in the renewable-energy industry and related projects.
