Windplanblauw

Energy transition

The wind turbines are part of the Windplanblauw project, which comprises a total of 61 new turbines. Through the green energy produced by the wind turbines, this project is making a substantial contribution to the Energy Agreement in the province of Flevoland. In this way, Ballast Nedam has contributed to the energy transition with the construction work for Windplanblauw.

The wind farm is now fully operational and generates enough electricity each year to power approximately 1 million Dutch households. This makes Windplanblauw one of the largest locally owned wind farms in the Netherlands.

Green power and extra capacity

The new wind turbines are part of an initiative by SwifterwinT and Vattenfall: a wind farm in the municipalities of Dronten and Lelystad, where 74 existing wind turbines have been replaced by 61 modern turbines with a higher capacity. The wind farm has a total installed capacity of over 335 MW. A total of 37 turbines are placed on land and 24 in the water of the IJsselmeer lake.

The foundations for the 24 turbines in the IJsselmeer have been designed and realised by Ballast Nedam. The new foundations  replaced the 28 wind turbines of the current 'Irene Vorrink' wind farm, which was also built by Ballast Nedam. The 24 wind turbines each generate about 6 Megawatt of power, which is 5,4 Megawatt extra power compared to the old turbines.

Nearshore locations

Project Windplanblauw was located in shallow water, on the border of onshore (land) and offshore (sea). We refer to this location as 'nearshore'. This is where our expertise lies and where we can apply our maritime knowledge, combined with our expertise in building on the land.

Unique cofferdam construction

For this project, Ballast Nedam developed a unique solution for the installation of land-based turbines on water. We combined the upper part of the foundation solution, which is normally used on land, with the lower part of a marine solution. This created a cofferdam construction that formed the basis for the turbine foundations. Through this unique cofferdam construction, we have applied a proven technique.

Ecological measures

Thanks to its location in a Natura 2000 area, Windplanblauw offers a fine example of how sustainable energy and nature conservation can reinforce each other. From the construction phase onwards, a great deal of attention has been paid to protecting the environment. Smart measures have been taken to minimize the impact on the environment, such as installing grids on piles to protect birds, using biodegradable oil, and applying targeted construction lighting to prevent light pollution. Pontoons have also been equipped with raised edges to keep the IJsselmeer clean.

In addition to these temporary construction measures, there are permanent facilities that give nature a boost. A 7.8-kilometer resting area for water birds has been created along the IJsselmeer dike, and 200 reef balls made of ecological concrete on the bottom of the IJsselmeer ensure a rich underwater life. This innovative approach ensures that Windplanblauw not only supplies sustainable energy, but also actively contributes to the preservation and enhancement of nature in the area.