After a recent restructuring, Eldepasco NV, a joint venture between the Belgian Colruyt Group and Aspivari, announced that its plans for the establishment of Belgium’s next wind farm on the Bank zonder Naam (bank with no name) in the North Sea will go ahead as planned. In preparation of reaching financial closure, the shareholders approved an increase of 15 million Euros to the project’s capital budget.
It also confirmed the appointment of Danish wind turbine technology leaders, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, as its preferred supplier of turbine technology for the project. Vestas’s showpiece 3-megawatt V112 turbines have been selected as leading technology for the project. Vestas will deliver, install, maintain and monitor the required turbines over the longer term. The parties have already reached term sheet agreement and have now entered into the final contract negotiations.
Eldepasco plans to generate and deliver green energy for 250,000 households. Construction is due to start in 2012 and will comprise 72 wind turbines, 37 kilometres into the North Sea, off the coast of Zeebrugge.
Frank Coenen, CEO of Eldepasco NV, will compile the experienced project team and steer the project. He was also responsible for the successful construction of the Belwind I wind farm, Belwind I was completed in December 2010, after it had been developed in a record time of just 3.5 years and was built within 16 months.
Coenen expressed his satisfaction with the involvement of Vestas: “One of the secrets of Belwind l was in the fact that we only used the best engineers and technologists we could find from across the world. Vestas has a sound reputation in wind technology experts and has strategically decided to specialize in this field. That is the kind of expertise and dedication we need to make the project a success.”
About Eldepasco NV
Eldepasco’s mission is to develop, construct and run a wind farm on the Bank zonder Naam (bank with no name) in the North Sea. The nv Eldepasco was established in December 2007 and received a concession from the Federal Belgian Authorities, as well as the major permits and grid connection.
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Source: ELDEPASCO, April 7, 2011