Heerema Fabrication Group has finalized the initial structural component for the jacket foundation of TenneT’s 2 GW IJmuiden Ver Beta transformer platform at its Vlissingen yard.
In the initial roll-up phase, the 1,700-tonne steel element was lifted from a horizontal to a vertical position by two large cranes.
This structure forms part of one of the two towers creating the jacket foundation, with additional elements to follow. These components will be positioned and welded together.
Located in the Netherlands, IJmuiden Ver Beta will be the first in a new series of 2 GW connections by TenneT in the Dutch and German North Sea.
TenneT contracted the GE Vernova–Seatrium consortium for the construction of offshore converter platforms for IJmuiden Ver Beta, IJmuiden Ver Gamma, and Nederwiek 2, with Heerema Fabrication Group responsible for the jackets.
The 2 GW IJmuiden Ver Beta jacket differs from TenneT’s 700 MW North Sea connections, featuring two large connected towers. The complete substructure measures approximately 100 metres in length, 55 metres in width, and 46 metres in height, weighing about 10,000 tonnes.
The IJmuiden Ver Beta topside, under construction in Singapore, will be mounted on the jacket to house power electronics that convert 66 kV AC from the wind farm into 525 kV DC for efficient transport.
Jacket construction for IJmuiden Ver Beta started in September 2025. The finished jacket is expected to leave Vlissingen in the summer of 2027.
Heerema Marine Contractors will install the foundation in the North Sea next year using the crane vessel Sleipnir, with the topside installation set for the second half of 2028.
In June 2024, a joint venture between Vattenfall and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), Zeevonk II, received development permits for the 2 GW IJmuiden Ver Beta offshore wind site in the Netherlands.
Developers plan to build a 2 GW offshore wind farm, a 50 MW floating solar farm, and a 1 GW electrolyser plant. Vattenfall and CIP will execute the wind farm in two phases: the first 1 GW by 2029 and the second by 2032. This timeline aligns with the Delta Rhine Corridor’s delayed completion, crucial for transporting green hydrogen from Maasvlakte to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
Original Story at www.offshorewind.biz