Redevelopment of the Kats II wind farm brings innovation

Windpark Kats II is currently being redeveloped and will then continue under the name Windpark Oostzeedijk. The three existing wind turbines will be replaced by three turbines from Nordex in the coming weeks by developer Zeeuwind. This results in an almost tripling of total production. Part of it is earmarked for the first emission-free beer malting plant in the world, in Eemshaven. Also new is the installation of a closed distribution system (GDS). Nothing will change in the cooperative nature of the wind farm.

Major increase in production

The current Vestas V90 wind turbines from 2007, with an annual production of 22,500 MWh, will be replaced by three Nordex N149 turbines. These new turbines have a tip height of 200m, which, together with greater power, leads to an expected production of 60,000 MWh per year.

Closed Distribution System (GDS)

An important part of the work was the installation and adjustment of an innovative closed distribution system. The electrical installation, set up as a separate entity with an owner responsible for the business operations, works like a socket system. Two parties are now connected to this: the wind farm for input and neighbor Kingfish Zeeland for offtake.

In this way, only one grid connection is needed to a Main Distribution Station in Goes and the grid is relieved because the electrons from the wind farm go directly to Kingfish.

This will make sufficient grid capacity available for the electricity production of the new turbines and for the consumption of the neighboring company.

The video below explains the system.

Exploitation

According to Rogier Polderman, program manager at Zeeuwind, the cooperative character will not change.

“Wind farm Oostzeedijk, like Kats II, remains 50% owned by citizen cooperative Zeeuwind. The other 50% is owned by the agricultural cooperative Camperwind.

A nice bonus is that we have sold sustainable electricity from Oost-zeedijk for a long period of time to Holland Malt in the Eemshaven, intended for the first emission-free beer malting plant in the world.”

Zeeuwind will carry out the technical and operational management of the repowering process and has now started to have the first turbine built. The financial responsibility lies with Camperwind.

More information about the Oost-zeedijk wind farm can be found on the Zeeuwind website .