Vattenfall is free to build the up to 750MW Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) 1&2 offshore wind farm in the Netherlands after a rival developer dropped a potential legal challenge.
The Dutch government has told Vattenfall the permit for the construction of the project is irrevocable following the withdrawal of tender result objections by the Witwind consortium.
Vattenfall was awarded HKZ 1&2 construction rights in March by topping a comparative assessment of six qualitative and quantitative criteria.
Witwind, comprised of Eneco, Van Oord and Mitsubishi subsidiary Diamond Generating Europe, is understood to have been given sufficient clarity by Dutch enterprise agency RVO about how its Swedish rival was awarded the zero-subsidy permit.
Another defeated rival, Innogy, dropped a similar challenge last month.
Vattenfall offshore wind development manager Gijs Nijsten said it would ramp up procurement activities for the HKZ 1&2 project due online by 2023.
“With the irrevocable permit, all signals are now really positive for this project,” he added.
“We are very excited about tackling the challenges of the first subsidy-free windfarm in Dutch waters.”


