Essent Opens Westereems Wind Park

As of today, energy company Essent has set wind park Westereems (156 MW) in Groningen officially in operation. During a festive ceremony, minister Van der Hoeven of Economic Affairs opened the wind park that will provide green energy for 135,000 households. Essent announced that it plans to expand the wind park next year, adding two certificated turbines of the 6 MW class.

Streamlined regulations are needed in order to reach sustainability goals

Essent started construction of the Westereems wind park in 2007 and in May last year, the first wind turbines were put into operation. “I am proud of the result and the contribution of the wind park to the production of Green Enery,” says Michiel Boersma, chairman of Essent’s Executive Board. “Although the construction actually took one year to complete, we had to deal with many rules and regulations in the preceding period (approximately 5 years). If we all intend to achieve the cabinet’s renewable energy goals, then more streamlined procedures and more efficient regulations will be necessary.”

Westereems Wind Park

The wind park – 52 wind turbines with a total power of 156 MW– was realized as a replacement and expansion of the old Eemshaven and Eemsmond wind parks. The older wind park was comprised of 134 wind turbines with a total power of 44 MW.

Wind energy is an essential part of Essent’s energy mix, today and in the future. With wind park Westereems, Essent is making an important contribution to the aim of the Dutch government to generate at least twenty per cent of its total energy production from sustainable energy sources by 2020.

Published: 14 May 2009