The last of the 52 wind turbines at the Ecowende offshore wind farm was installed, marking the start of the project's final construction phase.

Milestone Reached off the Dutch Coast

The turbine stands approximately 53 kilometers off the coast of IJmuiden, in the Hollandse Kust (west) wind farm zone, Lot VI. The wind farm is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.

The first turbine was installed on 30 May 2026, meaning all 52 turbines were installed in less than five months. Vestas supplies the V236-15.0 MW turbines and is responsible for their installation and commissioning.

Van Oord transports the turbines from Eemshaven to the offshore site using its installation vessel Boreas, having previously installed the foundations and the inter-array cables.

Jan Willem Elleswijk, Project Director at Van Oord, said the company's people had applied their expertise across every installation phase: the foundations, the inter-array cables, the scour protection and the transport of the turbines offshore.

He noted that the successful deployment of the new offshore installation vessel Boreas shows what the vessel can achieve in this complex installation campaign, and said the result was achieved thanks to close collaboration with Ecowende, Vestas and all other partners involved, safely and professionally.

Capacity and First Power

The Ecowende wind farm will have an installed capacity of approximately 760 megawatts, enough to supply around 3 percent of current Dutch electricity demand. First power was already generated in July 2026.

Henrik Andersen, CEO of Vestas, said Ecowende demonstrates that offshore wind can deliver secure, affordable and sustainable energy while advancing understanding of how renewable energy infrastructure can coexist with nature.

He added that the project will generate valuable insights for the wider industry and help inform how future offshore wind projects are developed, and highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong pipeline of offshore wind investments to strengthen Europe's energy security and competitiveness. He also thanked partners Eneco, Shell and Chubu for their strong partnership throughout the project.

Ecology as a Design Principle

Ecowende aims to build one of the most ecologically considered wind farms to date. The wind farm is being developed by Ecowende, a joint venture of Shell, Eneco and Chubu, with ecology taken into account from the very start of the design.

A bird corridor has been created within the wind farm, between the coast and the Natura 2000 site Brown Ridge (Bruine Bank). In this area, the turbines are spaced further apart. In addition, some nacelles have been installed at a greater height, giving seabirds more room to fly beneath the rotor blades.

Ecowende also uses an adaptive curtailment regime that responds to prevailing conditions, as well as radars with AI-based species recognition. These systems are used to reduce risks to birds and bats.

On seven turbines, one rotor blade has been painted red. The colour contrast is intended to make the rotating blades more visible to birds. Whether these measures actually lead to fewer collisions has not yet been demonstrated, which is why Ecowende is studying this in practice.

Boosting Biodiversity Underwater

Various ecological measures are also being applied and tested underwater. Around the turbine foundations, Ecowende is testing different scour protection designs.

Four monopiles are being fitted with additional water-exchange holes, where fish can find shelter. At four cable crossings, reef structures made from old fruit trees, known as tree reefs, will be placed. In addition, oyster nurseries are being installed to help support marine life around the wind farm.

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