Ecowende's Hollandse Kust West offshore wind farm has generated its first carbon-free electricity, marking a pivotal moment in the Netherlands' push toward renewable energy.

The wind farm, located 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast, is now connected to TenneT's offshore grid, with full commercial power delivery expected before the end of 2026.

A Joint Venture Takes Shape at Sea

The wind farm is being developed by Ecowende, a joint venture comprising Shell, Chubu, and Eneco. Offshore construction began in December 2025 with the installation of the first monopile, and the project has progressed steadily since. The facility consists of 52 wind turbines, each rated at 15 MW, delivering a total installed capacity of 760 MW.

Once fully commissioned, the wind farm is projected to generate 3.3 TWh of renewable electricity annually, sufficient to meet approximately 3% of the Netherlands' total electricity demand. Ekansh Aggarwal, Commissioning Manager at Ecowende, described the milestone as a significant achievement for everyone involved.

"We are delighted to produce the first green electrons from the Ecowende wind farm. We often talk about milestones along a project's journey, and Ecowende has many firsts to date, but to see the turbines spinning and to have reached first power safely and successfully is a great achievement for everyone involved in the project," Aggarwal said.

He added that the team's focus remains on safely commissioning the remaining assets and delivering a reliable offshore wind farm capable of generating clean electricity for decades.

Grid Connection Through TenneT Infrastructure

The Ecowende wind farm is connected to the Dutch onshore grid through TenneT's offshore high-voltage infrastructure. TenneT served as the developer of the offshore power socket and the associated grid that carries Ecowende's output ashore, working in close coordination with Ecowende and the relevant ministries and coastal authorities.

Robin van Buchem, Head of Operations NL at TenneT, said the connection represents another step in building the renewable energy infrastructure the Netherlands requires. "TenneT is proud to play its part in bringing this clean power from the North Sea to Dutch homes and businesses," he said.

Ecological Innovation Sets New Standard

What distinguishes the Hollandse Kust West wind farm from many of its counterparts is the scope of its ecological integration measures, undertaken at Ecowende's initiative.

Turbine manufacturer Vestas is fitting seven of the farm's turbines with a single red-painted blade to test whether the colour contrast reduces bird collision risk during rotation.

The farm also incorporates a dedicated bird corridor, wider spacing between turbines, elevated nacelles, adaptive curtailment systems, and AI-assisted radar monitoring designed to track both birds and bats in the area.

Below the waterline, specially designed scour protection has been engineered to create rock crevices and bays intended to shelter fish and other marine species. Fish holes in the monopile foundations are also being trialled as supplementary fish habitat.

These measures are part of Ecowende's stated ambition to establish a new benchmark for offshore wind development that operates in harmony with the surrounding natural environment.

Market Operations and Trading Arrangements

Day-to-day operations and maintenance of the wind farm will be carried out by Eneco Wind Offshore Operations and Vestas Services. Electricity trading responsibilities have been assigned to Next Kraftwerke, working alongside SEEL and EET.

Next Kraftwerke began marketing Ecowende's electricity on 4 July 2026 and is acting as Balancing Service Provider and Congestion Service Provider for the wind farm, managing system integration and congestion across day-ahead, intraday and balancing energy markets on Ecowende's behalf.

Marc Rühs, CEO of Next Kraftwerke, said the project demonstrates large-scale integration of renewable energy into the electricity system. "We actively trade the farm across various markets, thereby making a measurable contribution to grid stability and economic performance," Rühs said.

Supporting Grid Stability Through Frequency Balancing

Beyond electricity generation, the wind farm is designed to actively support grid stability. It provides balancing energy through automatic negative frequency reserve, known as aFRR, a product that compensates for frequency fluctuations in the power grid by flexibly adjusting the volume of power fed into the system. This capability allows the wind farm to help balance out excess electricity and contribute to the reliable functioning of the broader energy network.

The first power milestone, reached on 6 July 2026, positions Hollandse Kust West as one of the more significant additions to the Netherlands' offshore wind portfolio, both in terms of generating capacity and its novel approach to minimising environmental impact.

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