TotalEnergies has secured a 50 percent equity stake in the OranjeWind offshore wind farm from RWE to jointly develop the project in the Netherlands.
This significant acquisition will make the OranjeWind project the first system integration project in the Dutch market, aligning intermittent wind power generation with flexible energy demand to enhance grid stability.
OranjeWind offshore wind farm will boast an installed capacity of 795 megawatts (MW). The project, located in the North Sea about 53 kilometers from IJmuiden in Noord-Holland, is set to begin offshore construction in 2026, with full commissioning expected by early 2028. Once operational, it is expected to generate approximately 3 terawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to supply over one million Dutch households, according to Sven Utermohlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind.
RWE will spearhead the development, construction, and operation of the wind farm. The project also highlights innovations in the energy sector, including the integration of offshore wind power with green hydrogen electrolysers, reflecting TotalEnergies’ commitment to pioneering energy transition in Europe.
Additionally, the project will feature an offshore demonstration floating solar farm, developed by RWE in collaboration with SolarDuck, a Dutch-Norwegian company specializing in offshore floating solar solutions. Advanced technologies such as scanning LiDAR for long-range wind measurement and a seabed battery system, developed with Verlume, will be demonstrated. A pumped hydro-storage system, in partnership with Ocean Grazer, will also be tested.
The OranjeWind project will use 53 15-MW turbines supplied by Vestas, 53 monopiles from SiF, and inter-array cables from TKF. Jan De Nul will handle the transport and installation of the foundations and wind turbines, utilizing its floating heavy lift vessel “Les Alizes” and jack-up installation vessel “Voltaire.” Network operator TenneT will manage the offshore grid connection, linking the inter-array cables to an offshore substation, from where export cables will run to the high-voltage onshore substation in Wijk aan Zee.
Stephane Michel, President of Gas, Renewables & Power at TotalEnergies, and Bernard Pinatel, President of Refining & Chemicals, emphasized the project’s role in illustrating TotalEnergies’ innovative contributions to the energy transition in Europe.