(WO) — Shell and Eneco have won the tender to build an offshore wind farm at Hollandse Kust (west) lot VI. The project will have an installed capacity of approximately 760 MW and will be located approximately 53 km (32.93 miles) off the Dutch coast from the town of IJmuiden.

The new wind farm will be delivered through a joint venture called Ecowende and is due to be operational in 2026. Shell and Eneco have already taken the final investment decision for the wind farm.

Ecowende aims to set a new ecological benchmark for the development and construction of wind farms in the North Sea and to enable offshore wind farms to have a net positive impact on nature in the future.

The design of the wind farm takes account of the natural environment through measures such as placing wind turbines a greater distance apart to create a corridor for birds to fly through. The wind farm will also use innovative foundation techniques that keep the impact on marine mammals and marine life to a minimum. It will also place natural reef structures on the seabed to boost biodiversity.

Wael Sawan, Director of Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy Solutions at Shell, said, "With Ecowende, we will take a huge step in growing our offshore wind portfolio while making a positive contribution to biodiversity. Through this project, we can profitably accelerate the large-scale roll-out of offshore wind in the Netherlands and beyond.”