Parkwind and MHI Vestas Join Forces for Northwester 2 in Belgium

The offshore wind industry will look to Belgium for its first glimpse at the V164-9.5 MW turbine, the most powerful available wind turbine in the world.

The 224 MW Northwester 2 project, the fourth collaboration between Parkwind and MHI Vestas, will comprise 23 turbines and provide enough clean energy to power 220,000 Belgian homes.

Co-CEO’s of Parkwind, Eric Antoons & François Van Leeuw, said, “The Northwester 2 timing and general schedule is very challenging in the light of the timing wanted by the Belgian government. This challenging timeline has played an important role in the choice for MHI Vestas as turbine supplier having the capability of delivering the V164-9.5 MW. Parkwind is very delighted to have MHI Vestas for the fourth time as a partner.”

Both companies attribute the fast installation timetable, set for late 2019, to the industrialisation of offshore wind in Belgium, a highly collaborative approach, and supply chain readiness.

MHI Vestas CEO, Philippe Kavafyan, said, “We are delighted to sign our fourth project with Parkwind – and it is a historic one. The first commercial installation of the world’s most powerful available turbine, the V164-9.5 MW, will be a Parkwind project, which is significant for our company and a notable milestone for the industry.”

Highlighting the positive impact of offshore wind on local communities in Belgium, the project promises to provide more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs during the construction phase and 100 long-term jobs for operations and maintenance.

The conditional order announcement, which includes a service agreement, comes as the government has recently announced it will double offshore wind capacity in Belgian territorial waters, up to 4 GW by 2025.