Belwind

Belwind
Location of Belwind off the coast of Belgium in the North Sea
Country Belgium
Location Ostend, Zeebrugge region, North Sea
Coordinates 51°39′36″N 2°48′0″E / 51.66000°N 2.80000°E / 51.66000; 2.80000Coordinates: 51°39′36″N 2°48′0″E / 51.66000°N 2.80000°E / 51.66000; 2.80000
Status Operational (phase 1)
Planned (phase2)
Commission date 9 December 2010 (2010-12-09)
Owner(s) Belwind NV
Wind farm
Site area 13 km2 (5 sq mi) (phase 1)
22 km2 (8 sq mi) (phase 2)
Distance from shore 46 km (29 mi)
Hub height 72 m (236 ft)
Rotor diameter 90 m (295 ft)
Power generation
Units operational 55 x 3 MW (phase 1)
50 x 3,3 MW (phase 2)
Make and model Vestas V90-3MW
Vestas V122-3,3MW
Nameplate capacity 165 MW
Future: 330 MW
Website
belwind.eu/en/home

The Belwind Wind Farm is located on Bligh Bank, 46 kilometres (29 mi) from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, and will be built in two phases. When completed, it is expected to have a 330 MW production capacity and an estimated annual output of 1.1 TWh.[1] Phase 1 has a 165 MW production capacity.[2]

Financing

Bligh Bank is the first stage of what is planned to be a 330 MW project. It was financed under a Project Finance structure by Project Company ‘Belwind’, after a number of delays[3] that included bankruptcy of developer Econcern.[4] Financial close was eventually reached on July 27, 2009. Bligh Bank is only the third offshore wind farm to be Project Financed, following Q7 and Thornton Bank. The €614 million deal sees Colruyt Group, the Colruyt family, SHV, ParticipatieMaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV), Meewind and Rabo Project Equity, come together to invest in the construction of the 165 MW first stage of the Project.[5] For the first time the European Investment Bank will assume project finance risk for an offshore wind farm, by granting €300 million towards financing the Project.[6][7]

In January 2011 SHV sold its 20,7 % equity-share to the other Belgian shareholders Colruyt Group, the Colruyt family and ParticipatieMaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV).[8]

Status First Phase

Construction of the first phase commenced in August 2009 and was completed on 9 December 2010.[9][10] The wind farm includes an Offshore High Voltage Station (OHVS ) which converts the infield 33kV to the export cable (150kV). This export cable is connected to the second high-voltage station, (the Booster Transformer Station) in Zeebrugge.[11] In 2012 Alstom will install a wind turbine of 6 MW as a test.[8][12]

Status Second Phase

The financial close of the Second Phase of the project is expected in 2015, constructing is planned in 2015-2017.[13]

It is unclear if the electricity network in Belgium is ready for the connection of more windfarms at this moment. According to Elia the Stevin project needs to be finished to have a reliant enough electricity grid in place to connect any new wind farms in the future. The Stevin project concerns a new 380kV network to the Belgian coast.[14][15]

Revenue

The Belwind Wind Farm has a green certificate, meaning it will receive a set minimum price through Elia, €107 per MWh for the first 216 MW, the remaining 114 MW will receive €90 per MWh.[16] In 2011 it received €49,51 per MWh through the sale of the generated electricity to Electrabel.[8][17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://meewind.nl/zeewind-1/
  2. ↑ Van Oord has completed Belwind Van Oord, 9 December 2010. Accessed: 10 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Background to Belwind Financing". Retrieved 2009-08-03.
  4. ↑ "Econcern file for bankruptcy". Reuters. 2009-05-26. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
  5. ↑ "Belwind Press Release" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  6. ↑ "EIB Press Release". Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  7. ↑ "EIB Financing details" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  8. 1 2 3 "Meewind Participants meeting May 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  9. ↑ Toespraak van Eerste Minister Yves Leterme bij de inhuldiging van het Belwind windturbinepark op de Blighbank (Noordzee), 9 December 2010. Accessed: 10 December 2010.
  10. ↑ http://belwind.eu/nl/nieuws/4
  11. ↑ "Van Oord - EPC Contractor". Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  12. ↑ "Alstom 6 MW Haliade 150". Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  13. ↑ "Meewind newsletter". Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  14. ↑ "Elia - Stevin project". Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  15. ↑ "Elia - North Sea project". Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  16. ↑ "Minimum price and legal fram". Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  17. ↑ "Meewind participating in Belwind" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-12-20.

External links

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