RWE and TotalEnergies have chosen the port of Eemshaven, in Groningen, the Netherlands, as the base for the assembly and construction of turbines for their t OranjeWind offshore wind project in the Dutch North Sea. 1q3f18

According to RWE, the OranjeWind t venture has signed an agreement with Buss Terminal Eemshaven to carry out this project. Construction activities for the offshore wind farm will begin in early 2026. The Eemshaven bus terminal will facilitate the unloading, storage, handling, and pre-assembly of the main turbine components and inter-array cables for the OranjeWind wind farm.

Monopile foundations will be transported directly to the offshore installation site from Sif's production facilities at the Port of Rotterdam. The installation of the turbines at the OranjeWind offshore site, approximately 278 km from Eemshaven, is expected to begin in early 2027, with full commissioning expected to be completed by the end of that same year.

The agreement for the OranjeWind project will cover a concentration area of a total of 35 to 40 hectares (equivalent to approximately 55 football fields).

OranjeWind is expected to have an annual generation of around 3 TWh, enough green electricity to supply the equivalent of over one million Dutch households.

Key players in the construction and maintenance of the OranjeWind wind project

The turbine manufacturer Vestas will supply 53 of its 15-megawatt (MW) turbines to OranjeWind, while Sif will manufacture monopiles and secondary steel components.

Once completed, Vestas will maintain the wind turbines for five years under a service agreement followed by a long-term operational agreement.

Jan De Nul Group has been contracted for various transport and installation activities for foundations and turbines.

TKF will manufacture and supply the inter-array cables, and DEME will handle the transportation and installation of these cables. DEME has also been contracted to install the secondary steel components for the foundations.

The grid operator TenneT will facilitate the connection to the offshore grid, linking the inter-array cables to its offshore substation, from where the export cables will feed into the high-voltage substation onshore at Wijk aan Zee.

Thomas Michel, Chief Operating Officer of RWE Offshore Wind, stated, "The choice of construction port is critical for any offshore wind project. Eemshaven's bus terminal, with its classification and construction facilities, has the capabilities aimed at efficiently delivering our OranjeWind project."

Meanwhile, Marc Wegman, Managing Director of Buss Terminal Eemshaven, said, "We are delighted to partner with RWE and TotalEnergies and serve as the base for another major offshore wind project. With our highly skilled and motivated team, completing the project safely and on time is our top priority. This project will further strengthen Buss Ports' position as a leading port logistics partner for offshore wind projects."