There is still no visible evidence of the sea wind farm Gemini, but the construction of some of its parts is well under way. An important part is being developed in Eemshaven. This concerns the construction of the transformer substation on land, which transforms the voltage from 220 kilovolt to 380 kilovolt, so that it can be supplied to the electricity grid. The process of laying cables under the Wadden Sea is about to start.
In addition to the transformer substation another critical milestone in the schedule for Gemini was reached in February. HDD drilling for export cables that will connect the offshore stations with the onshore transformer substation has been completed. This means that the cables of Gemini can be laid underneath the cables of already existing other projects in the Wadden Sea. Installation of the cables will start in the period to come. Another important milestone will be 1 July 2015, when the process of laying the foundations of the wind turbines will start.
Largest wind farm in the world
The Gemini offshore wind farm will be one of the largest wind farms in the world. It will be built in the Dutch part of the North Sea, 85 km north of the coast of Groningen. The location has a constant, strong wind and is invisible from land. It is expected that, with a total capacity of 600 MW, Gemini will generate approximately 2.6 TWh renewable electricity for about 1.5 million people in the Netherlands.