Offshore wind farm Egmond aan Zee (OWEZ)
Particulars of the wind farm
Offshore Wind Farm Egmond aan Zee was the first wind farm to be built in the Dutch section of the North Sea. It is also the smallest wind farm. The 36 wind turbines can be seen from the coast when conditions are clear. The wind farm was commissioned in 2007. The electricity is brought to land near Wijk aan Zee by a transmission cable and, from there, distributed to the national high voltage network.
| Location | Off the coast of North Holland |
|---|---|
|
In use since |
2007 |
|
In use untill |
2027 |
|
Number of wind turbines |
36 |
|
Turbine output (MW) |
3 |
|
Wind farm output |
108 |
|
Surface area (km2) |
27 km2 |
|
Operator |
Free passage
The Egmond aan Zee Offshore Wind Farm is solely accessible for vessels with a length of up to 24 metres under strict conditions. The code of conduct (pdf, 180 kB) for safe passage through wind farms specifies the rules and safety tips for vessels passing through this wind farm.
Shared use
It is possible to fish using a fishing rod in Egmond aan Zee Offshore Wind Farm.
Decision-making on opening of Egmond aan Zee Offshore Wind Farm
The opening of Egmond aan Zee Offshore Wind Farm to through shipping forms part of the National Water Plan 2016 – 2021. The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations notified the Lower House of the Dutch parliament in a letter dated 14 March 2018 about the opening of Egmond aan Zee Offshore Wind Farm on 1 May 2018 to through shipping.
Requirements
In order to make the opening of the wind farm possible, the policy guideline contained conditions which wind farms must adhere to. The policy guideline (Government Gazette 2018-22588) applies on the basis of article 6.10 of the Water Act: setting up safety zones around wind farms in the Dutch territorial sea and the Dutch exclusive economic zone. The general policy guideline forms the basis for the Administrative Ruling of General Application (B.A.S.) for each individual wind farm.
The decision can be retrieved here.