On August 26, more than 200 farmers and local residents will inaugurate the Zeewolde Wind Farm in the Flevoland province.
This is the largest onshore wind farm in the Netherlands, with 320 MW of installed capacity. In order to develop and realize the wind farm, more than 200 households in the 300 km2 project area on the outskirts of Zeewolde have taken the initiative and collectively invested $500 million.
The wind farm consists of 83 wind turbines distributed across the area in six line configurations. Four different types of wind turbines were provided by the Danish manufacturer Vestas: the V136 (20), V126 (33), V117 (21) and V110 (9). The range of the tip height is 140 to 220 meters. On average, each turbine has a 3.9 MW capacity. A total of 300,000 homes can be supplied with all the electricity they need thanks to the wind turbines.
With this, the roughly 200 farmers strengthen their own commercial endeavors. In addition to the usual harvest of, say, potatoes, onions, sugar beets, and wheat, the “harvest” of wind energy offers a reliable source of income.
The wind farm Zeewolde was constructed on schedule and within budget. On October 17, 2019, the first shovel was used to break ground. 220 smaller wind turbines have already been installed nearby; they will be removed by the end of 2026 at the latest.
Image source: Zeewolde Wind Farm
