The Mermaid and Seastar projects are amongst the last offshore wind projects to be built in the current designated offshore energy area in the Belgian EEZ. In a rapidly changing environment with a growing importance of offshore wind in the energy mix and decreasing cost levels, the Mermaid and Seastar projects adopted a combined approach for the wind turbine procurement in order to achieve the necessary economies of scale and synergies to lower the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) for both wind farms.
After intensive discussions with multiple suppliers to bring the competitiveness of their bids at a level compatible with the strongly reduced support levels, it was decided to collaborate with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy as wind turbine supplier for the Mermaid and Seastar projects, with a predominant role for Ostend as offshore hub.
Parties will continue their contract negotiations with the aim to reach an agreement on the terms and conditions of a Turbine Supply Contract and a long term Service and Maintenance contract before the summer of 2018.
‘We are pleased to do this announcement as this will trigger a sequence of events that will eventually lead up to the construction of two offshore wind farms with a total capacity of ca. 500 MW. In order to reach project completion by 2020 the support mechanism announced by the government still has to be transposed into legislation, but we are confident the Belgian government will do its utmost to make this happen in the next weeks based on the principles agreed in October 2017.’
Mathias Verkest CEO of Mermaid THV.
Green energy for 485.000 households
Subject to successful completion of the ongoing negotiations and regulatory approvals, the Mermaid and Seastar projects, will comprise 58 SGRE wind turbines, with a rotor diameter of 167m, on monopile foundations and two offshore substations connected to ELIA’s Modular Offshore Grid and provide green energy to 485.000 households. The wind turbines are expected to produce green energy as from 2020. The wind energy of the Mermaid and Seastar projects contributes to the achievement of the Belgian climate objectives 2020 and securing the future energy supply.
About Seastar
Seastar is part of the Otary partnership, equally uniting various Belgian specialists in renewable energy including investment and development companies Green Offshore and Power @ Sea, dredging and marine engineering specialist DEME and green energy players Aspiravi and Elicio. The Walloon environmental holding SRIW Environment, and the Flemish and Walloon energy and utility holding companies Z-Kracht/Nuhma and Socofe are also Otary shareholders. In addition to the Seastar concession, Otary also holds the Rentel concession, a project currently under construction, and is part of the consortium developing the Mermaid concession.
About Mermaid
Mermaid is a partnership between Otary NV and Electrabel NV, both parties contributing to the development of the Mermaid offshore wind farm.
