How the UAE is helping to power 2 million Dutch homes – The National

How the UAE is helping to power 2 million Dutch homes – The National

The new era of offshore wind power demands engineering as formidable as that achieved in the era of oil and gas. The UAE is playing its role: the nearly 4000-tonne Hollandse Kust Zuid Beta electrical platform was built in Drydocks World Dubai and sailed out on February 18 to its ultimate location off the coast of the Netherlands.

The HKZ installation is the world’s first offshore wind farm that did not require subsidies to be economically viable. Covering nearly 236 square kilometres, in waters between 17 and 28 metres deep, it will generate 1.5 gigawatts, enough for more than two million Dutch households when it reaches full operations next year.

The HKZ Beta platform will be anchored in the stormy North Sea waters near Rotterdam, gathering electricity from the offshore turbines, then using transformers to increase voltage to match the onshore grid. It will not require crew on board in normal operation.