Leiden/The Hague, The Netherlands; 20th of May 2025 – Offshore installation works have been successfully completed for the anchoring system of the first offshore solar farm in the world to be installed within an offshore wind farm. The anchoring system will hold the solar farm, supplied by Oceans of Energy, in place while an electrical cable will connect the offshore solar farm to a nearby wind turbine foundation. The Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm, operated by Crosswind, is located 22km offshore in the Dutch North Sea and is the location where this offshore solar innovation will be operating.
“The installation of the anchoring system is a huge milestone as it marks the first offshore installation works for this groundbreaking project” says Founder & CEO Allard van Hoeken. “This world’s first offshore solar project within an offshore wind farm demonstrates the enormous potential of combining offshore solar and offshore wind. This combination brings a more continuous flow of electricity to land and means a potential increase of energy output by up to 5 times, while using the same area of sea.” “I am very proud of the Oceans of Energy team for being able to prepare and manage an offshore project to the highest safety standards so well and I am very grateful to our Client Crosswind for their support and to our subcontractors Boskalis and Muller Dordrecht for their fantastic performances.”.
“CrossWind is proud to report significant progress in our offshore solar project,” says Jeroen van Loon, Offshore Solar Project Manager, CrossWind. “The successful installation of the anchors marks a key milestone in the realization of this pioneering offshore solar concept, surrounded by the wind turbines of Hollandse Kust Noord. The reliability of the anchoring system is critical, not only for the safety and stability of the floating solar park, but also to ensure it operates seamlessly alongside the surrounding wind turbines. We’re very pleased with the high-quality design, the professional execution, and the strong safety culture demonstrated by Oceans of Energy throughout this phase.”.
“This project was an exciting new undertaking in which we combined our offshore capabilities with a long-standing track record in the installation of offshore wind infrastructure. We are excited that we could contribute to the global premier with the transportation and installation of the permanent mooring system for this offshore solar farm in the North Sea, together with Oceans of Energy. The project execution went smoothly with safety as a top priority, and the excellent performance of the captain and the crew of the Princess was instrumental in the success of this project.” says Steve van Hulle, director Boskalis Marine Services.
The offshore solar project wishes to thank all partners and stakeholders for their support to our team for achieving this. Together, the way for a renewable energy future that enables energy security without competition for land use is being established.
Last week, Oceans of Energy and Crosswind also shared news about the successful factory acceptance test and delivery of the electrical power cable which will transport the produced energy to the nearby foundation pile. This cable, an innovation of its own, was supplied by Swedish NKT.
About CrossWind
CrossWind is a joint venture between Shell and Eneco, established to develop and operate the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm, located 18.5 kilometers off the Dutch coast near Egmond aan Zee. Operational since December 2023, the wind farm boasts an installed capacity of 759 MW, generating at least 3.3 TWh annually. To address the intermittency challenges of wind energy, CrossWind is implementing several key innovations.
About Oceans of Energy
Oceans of Energy is pioneer and world leader in offshore solar. Founded in 2016, the company was established to develop an innovative floating solar foundation capable of withstanding any offshore conditions. In 2019, it installed the world’s first offshore solar farm in high waves off the coast of The Hague. It proved to the world that offshore solar in high-wave conditions is a reality, having operated continuously for four years in the rough North Sea – including during more than 10 categorized (winter) storms. In 2023, the first commercial contract for an offshore solar farm was signed with Crosswind, for which the engineering, permitting and fabrication phases were successfully completed, and the offshore installation campaign commenced in April 2025. Oceans of Energy also leads and facilitates a wide range of ecological research to understand the environmental context and actively explores nature-enhancing opportunities. Projects are supported by RVO, MIT-Zuid-Holland, REACT-EU, INTERREG, and Horizon-2020 programs, amongst others. Crosswind is Oceans of Energy’s first commercial type customer.
About Boskalis
Boskalis is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world. The company facilitates the development of offshore energy infrastructure, including renewable wind energy. Boskalis is furthermore active in the construction and maintenance of ports, waterways, access channels and coastal defense, riverbank protection and land reclamation. In addition, Boskalis is a global marine salvage expert and provides terminal services at various locations worldwide. With a versatile fleet of approximately 500 vessels and floating equipment and over 11,000 employees, Boskalis is creating new horizons around the world.
END OF PRESS RELEASE
For more information:
Oceans of Energy
Ariane van Hoeken
ariane@oceansofenergy.blue
+31 6 48 65 09 37
CrossWind
Anna van den Broek
anna.vandenbroek@shell.com
Boskalis
Martijn Schuttevâer
martijn.schuttevaer@boskalis.com
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