About

Innovation, sustainability and knowledge sharing

Offshore Service Facilities (OSF) founded a consortium of strong parties with vast experience in both offshore wind and land reclamation projects to develop a multi-purpose artificial island in the wind farm area IJmuiden Ver (IJVER). OSF intends to realise an iconic island, a showcase of innovation, sustainability, engineering excellence and ecological enhancement to further facilitate the energy transition.

Offshore wind will play a crucial role in the realisation of the Dutch climate objectives. The Dutch offshore wind roadmap 2030 forecasts 11.5 GW of offshore wind capacity in 2030 to facilitate the energy transition. Plans for the period thereafter are yet to be finalised, but with projected offshore wind capacities in the Dutch North Sea ranging between 35 - 75 GW and the wider North Sea over 200 GW, the ambitions of all coastal states are high.

This also poses challenges, as the generated energy will need to be transported to the consumer. Artificial islands can play a key role in facilitating this: as hubs in a wider energy system, as locations for the required infrastructure and as base for further renewable energy related activities. In doing so, islands stimulate the multi-use of space to unlock the full potential of the largest Dutch source of sustainable energy and will ensure costs are kept in check, as also confirmed by TenneT, the Dutch transmission system operator (TSO). TenneT concluded that a basic island solution as location for the transmission assets for wind farm area IJVER is 10 - 15% cheaper than a more traditional design in which the electrical infrastructure is placed on fixed offshore platforms (so-called jackets). As a private developer, OSF can unlock further cost benefits, as its activities are not restricted by a mandate provided by the government.