The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) plans to issue a tender covering expert support on soil investigations and expert support on wind and water investigations at the new offshore wind zones in the Dutch North Sea.
RVO plans to start site characterization within designated new areas for the preparation of offshore wind development.
The state agency plans to issue an invitation to tendering in accordance with the European open procedure in February 2022.
The tender will be divided into two lots.
Lot 1 includes expert support on geological desk studies, geophysical investigations, geotechnical investigations, morphodynamical investigations, and ground modelling.
Lot 2 includes expert support on wind resource assessments, metocean conditions and modelling, and possibly offshore client representatives during metocean campaign(s).
In November, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management issued the Additional Draft North Sea Programme 2022 – 2027 which increases the country’s offshore wind target from the current 11.5 GW to 22.2 GW of operating offshore wind capacity by 2030.
According to the Additional Draft, the new offshore wind capacity would be developed within the newly designated, as well as the existing zones.
The newly designated zones 1,2, and 5 East would accommodate 8 GW of offshore wind capacity, the IJmuiden Ver North 2 GW, and the remaining 700 MW zone was identified within the southern part of Hollandse Kust (west) area.