Princess Amalia Wind Farm
Encyclopedia
The Princess Amalia Wind Farm (Prinses Amaliawindpark in Dutch
) is an offshore wind farm
in the Netherlands. Prior to its official opening, it was known as the Q7 Wind Farm.
, in the North Sea
. (Note that between it and the coast lies another wind farm, OWEZ
.) It consists of 60 Vestas
V80-2.0MW wind turbine
s and has a total nameplate capacity
of 120 MW. The wind turbine towers rest on steel monopile foundations, in water depths of 19 to 24 meters. Each monopile is a steel tube with diameter of about 4 meters, length of over 50 meters, weighing 320 tonnes, and driven 30 meters into the seabed. The construction barge Sea Jack required about 2 hours to drive in each monopile after positioning it.
and Econcern
. Upon completion, Eneco CEO Jeroen de Haas complained that the required procedures took seven years. By contrast, it only took two years to actually build. Project manager Bernard van Hemert stated that the long delay to obtain approval led to the project using a model of wind turbine (the Vestas V80-2MW) which was state-of-the-art at the start of project planning, but no longer the largest-capacity wind turbine on the market by the time of construction. (For example, the Thorntonbank Wind Farm
off the adjacent Belgian coast uses larger 5 MW wind turbines from REpower
.) However, the V80-2MW is considered a proven design with over 2700 units installed globally by 2008, thereby reducing the project risks.
The Princess Amalia Wind Farm was officially opened on June 4, 2008. It is named after Princess Amalia
, Hereditary Princess of Orange.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
) is an offshore wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
in the Netherlands. Prior to its official opening, it was known as the Q7 Wind Farm.
Specifications
The wind farm lies approximately 23 km west of the village of Egmond aan ZeeEgmond aan Zee
Egmond aan Zee is a village on the North Sea coast in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 9 km west of Alkmaar....
, in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. (Note that between it and the coast lies another wind farm, OWEZ
OWEZ
Windpark Egmond aan Zee is the first large scale offshore wind farm built off the Dutch North Sea coast. It consists of 36 Vestas V90-3MW wind turbines, each with nameplate capacity of 3 MW. In total the farm has a capacity of 108 MW...
.) It consists of 60 Vestas
Vestas
Vestas Wind Systems A/S is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world, but due to very rapid growth of its competitors, its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009...
V80-2.0MW wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s and has a total nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
of 120 MW. The wind turbine towers rest on steel monopile foundations, in water depths of 19 to 24 meters. Each monopile is a steel tube with diameter of about 4 meters, length of over 50 meters, weighing 320 tonnes, and driven 30 meters into the seabed. The construction barge Sea Jack required about 2 hours to drive in each monopile after positioning it.
Development
Building this wind farm was an initiative of EnecoEneco Energie
Eneco, the trading name of Eneco Holding N.V., is one of the largest producers and suppliers of gas, electricity and heat in the Netherlands, serving more than 2 million business and residential customers. Eneco headquarters are located in Rotterdam...
and Econcern
Econcern
Econcern was an international holding company, consisting of five operating companies: Ecofys, Evelop, Ecostream, Ecoventures and OneCarbon. These companies deliver solutions for renewable energy and carbon credits, with a mission to "ensure a sustainable energy supply for everyone"...
. Upon completion, Eneco CEO Jeroen de Haas complained that the required procedures took seven years. By contrast, it only took two years to actually build. Project manager Bernard van Hemert stated that the long delay to obtain approval led to the project using a model of wind turbine (the Vestas V80-2MW) which was state-of-the-art at the start of project planning, but no longer the largest-capacity wind turbine on the market by the time of construction. (For example, the Thorntonbank Wind Farm
Thorntonbank Wind Farm
The Thorntonbank Wind Farm is an offshore wind farm, off the Belgian coast, in water ranging from deep. Electricity production started in early 2009, with a capacity of 30 MW...
off the adjacent Belgian coast uses larger 5 MW wind turbines from REpower
REpower
REpower is a German wind turbine company founded in 2001, purchased December 2009 by Suzlon Energy Ltd. Its product range comprises several types of turbines with rated outputs of between 1.5 and 6 megawatts. It created the 5M, in 2005....
.) However, the V80-2MW is considered a proven design with over 2700 units installed globally by 2008, thereby reducing the project risks.
The Princess Amalia Wind Farm was officially opened on June 4, 2008. It is named after Princess Amalia
Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands
The official origins of her given names:*Catharina has been speculated to be after Henriette Catherine of Nassau *Amalia is after Amalia of Solms-Braunfels *Beatrix is after her paternal grandmother, the Queen of the Netherlands...
, Hereditary Princess of Orange.