13.2MW project sees six new turbines replace 12 old ones in North Holland [Image: Vattenfall]
Vattenfall, Dutch train firm NS and ProRail have opened the Nieuwe Hemweg wind farm (pictured).
The 13.2MW repowering project on the NS site in the Port of Amsterdam sees six turbines replace 12 old ones.
Eight old turbines previously stood on the site where the new wind farm can now be found.
Four old wind turbines were also removed from the IJsselmeer near Medemblik.
This is in line with North Holland’s policy to have one new wind turbine replace two old ones.
The six new turbines almost double the capacity of the 12 machines they replace.
The amount of electricity generated with it is equivalent to the consumption of 10,000 households.
The turbines have been installed on the NS site close to Amsterdam Sloterdijk station.
The soil on this site is sparse, and a yard had already been planned for ProRail, so it was a challenging area to work on, Vattenfall said.
Despite these challenges, however, NS, ProRail, Vattenfall and the Port of Amsterdam worked intensively together and were able to successfully integrate the six new turbines with the yard.
This is the first time Vattenfall has built a wind farm right next to a train yard in the Netherlands.
Vattenfall Nederland chief executive Martijn Hagens said: “Working in an environment that is used so intensively as Sloterdijk is hugely challenging.
“The Nieuwe Hemweg wind farm is now on track to be completed on time, which is a joint success for all parties involved.
“Vattenfall wants to make it possible to live fossil-free within a generation.
“The Nieuwe Hemweg wind farm takes us one step closer to achieving that ambition.”
Building work began on the turbines last autumn and a mild winter meant they were built in record time.
Electricity generated by the wind turbines goes to Vattenfall.
