The 700 MW Alpha topside for the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) project has been completed by Drydocks World (DDW). The unit has already sailed away from the fabrication yard in Dubai to the Netherlands onboard the semisubmersible heavy lift vessel Tai An Kou. The vessel, according to the shipping data, is now sailing in the Red Sea and heading towards the Suez Canal.

The 700 MW Alpha topside is one of two topsides that will form part of the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) grid connection, that will connect the HKZ offshore wind farm zone with the Dutch mainland. With its installed capacity of 1,500 MW the wind farm zone will have a renewable electricity output equivalent to the annual consumption of over two million households, when fully operational in 2023.

Drydocks World CEO, Rado Antolovic, said, “Despite the challenges and setbacks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic during construction, we delivered the Alpha topside timely to finalise the connection of the offshore wind farm to the Dutch grid as planned. Our focus will now be geared towards completing and handing over the HKZ Beta topside in the first quarter of 2022. We are committed to enable renewable energy, and will continue to play an active role in creating a more environmentally conscious future.”

Covering an area of 235.8 square kilometres, the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) wind farm zone is a designated renewable energy wind farm located about 20 kilometres off the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland. The HKZ wind farm zone comprises four 350 MW offshore wind farms, which will be connected to two 700 MW offshore substations: the HKZ Alpha and HKZ Beta platforms.

Elie Lahoud, CEO – Engineering & Construction of Petrofac said, “The safe and successful completion of the first topside fabrication and it’s departure from the UAE is another milestone in this important renewable energy project. Collaboration has been key and together with Drydocks World, our focus remains firmly on the delivery of the second topside for its departure next year. We will then look forward to successful grid connection, to the full satisfaction of our client TenneT.”

Marco Kuijpers, director large project offshore at TenneT said, “With the load-out and sail away of the Alpha topside to its final destination, we move forward to the next stage of the project; the installation of the topside on the jacket, which is already installed on the seabed. Our collaboration in the UAE has laid a solid foundation for the teamwork that is required for the upcoming offshore stage of the project to connect the wind farm in a safe manner.”

The HKZ project is a collaboration between Drydocks World, Petrofac and TenneT. Petrofac awarded the contract to Drydocks World to complete fabrication, commissioning and load out for the topside, including the Engineering, Procurement and Construction scope of HVAC system. Petrofac is responsible for the complete Engineering, Procurement, Construction and offshore installation of the Alpha and, next in line, Beta platforms, for client TenneT, a European grid operator. Mammoet, a heavy lift and transport specialist was commissioned to perform the weighing, transport and the load-out of the 3,830 tonnes topside onto the specialised transport vessel