In 2023, Oceans of Energy was awarded the contract for Fabrication, EPCI and Asset Management for the First-Of-A-Kind offshore solar farm installed within an offshore wind farm. The basis for the project is the Oceans of Energy offshore solar system which has been proven to survive the rough winterstorms in the North Sea during more than 4 years (see NS1 and NS2 projects).  Crosswind, our client, a joint venture of Shell and Eneco, started with an extensive technical review. Oceans of Energy moved to a new facility, suitable for large projects, after which procurement and fabrication commenced in 2024. By the third quarter of that year, regular shipment of the floating farm components to the Port of Amsterdam was going on.

The project will be the first and largest offshore solar farm in the world to be connected, installed and operated within a wind farm in high wave conditions. With offshore solar added to offshore wind it is possible to also produce energy on sunny but less windy days and hence increase the utilization of the offshore power grid infrastructure. The solar panels will be situated in-between the offshore wind turbines, an efficient way of sharing the sea space. CrossWind’s Hollandse Kust Noord project is an innovative offshore wind park that will use cutting-edge technologies and engineering solutions to improve the flexibility of offshore wind parks.

Crosswind and Oceans of Energy celebrating the first floater a tthe factory.

“Offshore floating solar is an exciting area of renewable energy development that is poised to play an important role in the energy transition. This project marks a significant milestone to create better energy solutions for the future”
Maria Kalogera, Innovations Manager of CrossWind.

“We are very pleased that Crosswind and their shareholders Shell and Eneco have trust in Oceans of Energy for realizing this first off amazing project. Our performance and our system will be key for the success of the innovational part of the offshore wind farm. This is a large responsibility as Hollandse Kust Noord will function as an example for combined offshore wind and solar parks in the future.”
Allard van Hoeken, founder and CEO of Oceans of Energy