The community-owned Zeewolde wind farm in the Netherlands is set to become the country’s largest onshore development following Vattenfall’s signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the project.
Under the deal, inked with Windpark Zeeworlde BV, which operates the wind farm on behalf of 200 farmers and residents invested in the project, the Swedish utility will buy electricity to supply some 250,000 customers from the development, which will expanded to 300MW once repowered with larger turbines.
“This is the largest purchasing contract that Vattenfall has ever concluded for renewable energy in the Netherlands. Zeewolde wind farm will supply sustainable electricity to 250,000 Vattenfall customers,” said Erik Suichies, head of Vattenfall’s European wholesale customer business.
Sjoerd Sieburgh Sjoerdsma, managing director at Windpark Zeewolde BV, added: “In Vattenfall we have a solid partner in the first place, one with extensive experience in this area. I also find it positive to see that a local organisation such as ours and an internationally operating company like Vattenfall, know how to find each other.
The repowering project, set to start later this year and run util 2021, will see 220 existing turbines replaced by 91 new 3.5MW machines, which will produce more than 850GWh a year.
With the Windpark Zeewolde agreement, Vattenfall has set the seal on PPAs n its various markets with a total capacity of 6.5GW.
“Vattenfall wants to make a fossil-free living possible within one generation. The purchase of sustainable electricity from this wind farm fits perfectly with that strategy. More and more people want to switch to sustainable energy. With this collaboration we can help to meet that demand," noted Vattenfall senior originator Peter Buskermolen.
