FAQ

Do you receive a government subsidy for this wind farm?
Yes, when Blauwwind was awarded the permit in December 2016, offshore wind farms were being subsidised. At the time, Economic Affairs Minister Kamp announced that the Blauwwind consortium would construct the wind farm for a subsidy of 5.45 eurocents per kWh, a drastic cost reduction compared to previous offshore wind farm subsidies. The maximum subsidy that the government had hitherto made available was 11.975 eurocents.

What is the role of offshore wind in the energy transition?
As the North Sea is shallow, there is a lot of wind and the wind areas are relatively close to the coast. So, the conditions for offshore wind farms are ideal. As a result, offshore wind will play a major role in the Dutch energy transition.

What will be the contribution of Borssele III & IV to the Dutch energy transition?
The Borssele III & IV offshore wind farm has an installed capacity of 731.5 MW, through which renewable power is generated with the equivalent of 2.5% of the Dutch electricity demand (ref. CBS, 2019). The construction of this offshore wind farm was based on one of the agreements included in the 2013 Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth, which states that by 2023 a total of 4,450 MW of offshore wind must be operational in order to achieve 16% renewable energy production. Borssele III & IV contributes significantly to this goal.

What is the role of the RVO?
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) is responsible for the collection of the site data which provide information for FEED studies and make competitive bids in the permit tenders possible. To see more go to the RVO website and the specific page for the Borssele project.

Where will the power go to?
The Borssele III & IV offshore wind farm will have a total installed capacity of 731.5 MW. Shell Energy Europe Limited and Eneco have secured contracts to each sell 50% of the power. Watch the video below to see where Blauwwind’s electricity will be used.

Shell

Royal Dutch Shell is an integrated energy company that aims to meet the world’s growing demand for energy in ways that are economically, environmentally and socially responsible. Shell has major ambitions to grow its renewable power business: it already produces and markets electricity from its existing renewable assets and is developing new wind and solar projects around the globe. Shell first entered the wind business in 2001. Today, its installed wind capacity is 508 MW: five onshore wind farms in the USA (400 MW) and the offshore wind farm Egmond aan Zee in the Netherlands (108 MW) for which Shell has 100% of the offtake.

Swiss Life Asset Managers

Swiss Life Asset Managers heeft meer dan 165 jaar ervaring in het beheer van de activa van de Swiss Life Group. Deze verzekeringsachtergrond heeft een belangrijke invloed uitgeoefend op de beleggingsfilosofie van Swiss Life Asset Managers, die wordt beheerst door principes als waardebehoud, het genereren van consistente en duurzame prestaties en een verantwoorde benadering van risico's. Swiss Life Asset Managers biedt deze bewezen aanpak aan externe klanten in Zwitserland, Frankrijk, Duitsland, Luxemburg, het Verenigd Koninkrijk en de Scandinavische landen. Het Infrastructure Equity-platform van Swiss Life Asset Managers beheert voor haar klanten en partners actief investeringen in niet-beursgenoteerde infrastructuuractiva en bedrijven in alle belangrijke subsectoren van de infrastructuur, waaronder een wereldwijd gediversifieerde hernieuwbare energieportefeuille van meer dan 5,7 GW.

INPEX

With the goal of becoming an integrated energy company that contributes to a stable energy supply to broader communities, INPEX through its European subsidiary INPEX Renewable Energy Europe Ltd (IREE) based in London, is engaged in efforts to commercialize renewable energies and reinforce Research and Development (R&D) activities for the next generation. INPEX and IREE, following its acquisition of Blauwwind, will continue to explore the business potential of various types of renewable energy such as geothermal, which has synergies with conventional oil and gas development, as well as offshore wind power and CO2 Methanation.

Nuveen Infrastructure

Nuveen Infrastructure is one of Europe's largest fund managers focusing exclusively on clean energy infrastructure. Nuveen invests in the transition to a low carbon economy and aims to deliver reliable income streams and capital appreciation through exposure to high quality defensive infrastructure assets. Since 2007, Nuveen Infrastructure has a deep history investing in clean energy infrastructure projects in Europe, USA and APAC. As part of our investment process, we raise long-term capital to invest in clean energy power generation projects, including wind farms, solar parks and small-scale hydro power plants. Our carefully selected, risk-managed investments aim to deliver sustained performance and predictable returns over periods of 10 years or more.

Eneco

Eneco is an international energy company that is committed to accelerating the energy transition. Eneco is involved as co-owner and/or operator at 8 wind farms in the Netherlands and Belgium. Eneco is a 10% shareholder in the Blauwwind consortium and takes 50% of the wind produced. Furthermore, Eneco develops innovative products and services that allow its clients to take control of how they generate, store, use or share energy.

Luxcara

Luxcara is an independent asset manager offering institutional investors investment opportunities in the international renewable energy market. The owner-managed company was founded in 2009. Luxcara acquires, structures, finances, and operates renewable energy and related infrastructure projects as a long-term buy-and-hold investor. The company specializes in structuring free-market power purchase agreements. Luxcara's portfolio includes solar and wind power plants across Europe with a total capacity of around 4 gigawatts and an investment volume of approximately 4 billion euros. With this outstanding track record, Luxcara is one of Europe’s most experienced asset managers for renewable energy investments.

Octopus Energy Generation

Octopus Energy Generation is driving the renewable energy agenda and building green power for the future. This means reshaping the market by leading the transition to a cleaner, greener future through renewable projects connected more deeply to customers and businesses. As one of Europe's largest investors in renewable energy, its fund management specialist team launched in 2010 with a mission to accelerate the transition to a future powered by renewable energy. This team manages 3.2 GW of renewable energy projects like wind and solar farms across 17 countries, worth £6bn. These projects generate enough green energy to power 2 million homes every year, and is the equivalent of taking over 1 million petrol cars off the road. The business also launched the Fan Club, the world's first local energy tariff that provides cheaper, greener energy to customers living near local turbines when it's windy, with a discount of up to 50%.