Gemini marks a turning point in offshore wind

12 May 2017

The massive offshore wind park Gemini has been officially opened on May 8 2017 in Eemshaven. With a 600 MW generating capacity, Gemini is one of the largest offshore wind parks in the world.

"We successfully completed Gemini ahead of schedule, under budget and with an excellent safety record. Now fully operational, Gemini will produce 2.6 TWh of sustainable energy every year, reducing the Netherlands' CO₂emissions by 1.25 million tons. We are proud to make this contribution to the realisation of the Netherlands' sustainability targets," said Matthias Haag, Managing Director of Gemini.

Over the next fifteen years Gemini will meet the energy needs of 1.5 million consumers. This is equivalent to the combined energy needs of all the citizens of the Netherlands' three Northern provinces. The reduction in CO₂emissions is comparable to the emissions of 50,000 cars that each drive 25,000 kilometres a year.

Gemini marks a turning point in the way we think about wind energy. The project's magnitude has contributed to a rapid transformation of the sector. Today, the construction of offshore wind parks is more efficient and cost-effective than ever, and as a result there has been a significant reduction in the price of this potent renewable energy source.

Gemini is invisible from land, located 85 kilometres off the coast of Groningen, in the North Sea. This location has some of the highest and most constant wind speeds in the North Sea, with an average wind speed of 36 kilometres per hour.

Gemini covers an area of 68 square kilometres, and is comprised of 150 Siemens wind turbines with a capacity of 4.0MW each, as well as two offshore high-voltage substations. Each substation is connected by to the land station in Eemshaven by a 110-kilometre export cable. There, the electricity is converted to 380Kv and conveyed to the TenneT power station. Management and maintenance headquarters will be located in Eemshaven, and will create 75-100 permanent jobs.

Finance

The construction of the wind park required an investment of 2.8 billion euros. The project was financed by 25 banks from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, including BNG Bank. To date, Gemini is the largest project financing for an offshore wind park.

The bank is a committed partner and makes a sustainable contribution to minimising the costs of social provisions for the public.

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