OranjeWind offshore wind project : RWE and TotalEnergies join forces for renewable revolution

RWE and TotalEnergies have officially announced their partnership on the OranjeWind offshore wind project in the Netherlands, marking a significant step forward in renewable energy. Under the terms of the agreement, TotalEnergies will acquire a 50% equity stake in the project from RWE. OranjeWind, poised to become the first system integration project in the Dutch market, aims to seamlessly integrate intermittent wind power generation with flexible energy demand, contributing to grid stability across the region.

The OranjeWind project, with an impressive installed capacity of 795 megawatts (MW), is set to commence offshore construction in 2026 and achieve full commissioning by early 2028. Located in the North Sea, approximately 53 kilometres from IJmuiden on the Dutch coast in the province of Noord-Holland, the wind farm is expected to generate around 3 terawatt hours of green electricity annually. This output will be sufficient to power more than one million Dutch households, significantly boosting the Netherlands’ renewable energy capacity.

Strategic Vision and Commitment

Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, underscored the strategic importance of this project for RWE. He expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with TotalEnergies, highlighting the joint commitment to addressing the challenges of intermittent wind generation and flexible energy demand. Utermöhlen stated, “The Netherlands is a key market for our green portfolio growth. Partnering with TotalEnergies allows us to realise our first offshore wind project in the Netherlands and unlock the full potential of OranjeWind. Together, we aim to create a model for the Dutch energy system, supporting the nation’s decarbonisation goals.”

TotalEnergies executives Stéphane Michel, President of Gas, Renewables & Power, and Bernard Pinatel, President of Refining & Chemicals, also commented on the significance of the project. They highlighted its role in advancing green hydrogen production, which is crucial for decarbonising their refineries in northern Europe. Michel and Pinatel noted that OranjeWind represents a pioneering effort in the European energy transition, combining offshore wind power with green hydrogen technology.

Innovative Integration and Technological Advances

A central feature of the OranjeWind project is its integration into the Dutch energy system, addressing the challenge of matching intermittent renewable energy production with variable energy demand. This involves implementing flexible demand solutions such as electrolysers, smart charging systems for electric vehicles, e-boilers for heating, and battery storage across various locations in the Netherlands.

The project also aims to accelerate the commercial application of new offshore technologies. RWE is collaborating with SolarDuck, a Dutch-Norwegian firm, to develop an offshore demonstration floating solar farm. Additionally, the partners are exploring the use of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology for wind measurement, a seabed battery system developed with Verlume, and a pumped hydro-storage system in partnership with Ocean Grazer.

Supply Chain and Operational Details

The supply chain for the OranjeWind project has been carefully selected to ensure the successful delivery of the offshore wind farm. Vestas has been contracted to supply 53 of its 15-MW turbines (V236), while SiF will provide 53 monopile foundations. TKF is responsible for supplying the inter-array cables. Jan De Nul has been tasked with transporting and installing the foundations and turbines using its floating heavy lift vessel, “Les Alizés,” and jack-up installation vessel, “Voltaire.” The offshore grid connection will be managed by the network operator TenneT, which will connect the inter-array cables to its offshore substation and subsequently to the high-voltage onshore substation in Wijk aan Zee.