By Marco Bogaards, Senior Consultant and Contract Manager at BLIX
In the last quarter of 2020 and first quarter of 2021, BLIX has successfully been supporting Wind farm Oude Maas in their journey to realise civil & electrical contracts as well as construction contracts. Wind farm Oude Maas is a cooperation between Windpark Nieuwe Waterweg B.V. (WPNW, an Eneco company) and POG-REF Windparken B.V. (POG-REF), who respectively will install two and three wind turbines. BLIX operated on behalf of POG-REF Windparken B.V. but had close cooperation with Windpark Nieuwe Waterweg to have mutual agreements as much as possible. And with success!
WPNW and POG-REF, have taken the initiative to realise wind energy near the Heinenoord tunnel and along the Oude Maas. They also offer the opportunity to participate and share in the proceeds of this unique energy project. By means of a financial arrangement, parties ensure that part of the income from the wind turbines remains in the area. Exactly how this will be done is still unknown, but local residents will be given the opportunity to co-invest in the project by means of a loan. This option will be opened after the construction period.
History of Hoekse Waard
The Hoeksche Waard is one of the South Holland Islands. A “Waard” is an old name for a flat landscape in a river area. Values arose under the influence of old alternating creeks and are wholly or partly surrounded by rivers. The Hoeksche Waard is a mosaic of medieval polders and is separated from Voorne-Putten by the Spui, by the Oude Maas from IJsselmonde and by the Dordtsche Kil from the Eiland van Dordrecht. The wide Haringvliet and the Hollands Diep form the barrier to Goeree-Overflakkee and the mainland of North Brabant. The Vuile Gat forms the division with the island of Tiengemeten in the southwest.
At the beginning of the 16th century, reclaimed areas of land formed a system of small islands in an area consisting of mud flats and salt marshes. In the course of the 16th century a number of adjacent areas were reclaimed from the eastern polders to the west and from the end of the 16th century the reclamation was carried out towards the south and east.
Preparations for the development of the wind farm started in 2012. The impact of the turbines on the environment was examined by means of a spatial substantiation. Various sectoral aspects were examined, such as: noise, cast shadow, ecology, external safety, landscape, archaeology, soil, and water.
Based on this environmental study, among other things, a permit was granted in 2015.
The Oude Maas site has been designated as a ‘location for wind energy’ in the Vision on Spatial Planning and Mobility. The Provincial Council of South Holland has chosen this location because of the combination of wind with technical infrastructure and the large-scale dividing line between land and water.
Wind farm Oude Maas is expected to be in operation as of May 2022.
Role of BLIX
BLIX started in November 2020 with the project team and discussed the approach of civil & electrical contracts with the partners. Together with the partners the process for achieving civil and electrical contracts was realised with three main contractors in the field of Civil foundation, Civil infrastructure, and Electrical Park infrastructure. Next to Contract Management & Project Management, BLIX also performed a pre-due diligence on the project.
“It was an intense period of working together and having all stakeholders internal and external on board, but as we in the Netherlands say: “Where there is a will, there is a way’ (waar een wil is, is een weg)”, says Marco Bogaards, Contract Manager of BLIX Consultancy.