Status Report on the Offshore Wind Interconnection Program (VAWOZ)

Offshore wind energy is crucial for the Dutch energy transition, energy independence, and achieving climate goals. The energy we generate in the North Sea must be transported from the wind farms to shore via power cables and hydrogen pipelines. These cables and pipelines are connected to the electricity grid and the hydrogen network. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy’s “Offshore Wind Landfall Connections” (VAWOZ) program is investigating where and how this energy from the sea can best be connected to the mainland.

What is the VAWOZ program?

The VAWOZ program is conducting research into various locations and routes to enable the transmission of energy from the sea:

• Routes for transmitting energy from (future) wind farms via power cables and hydrogen pipelines.
• Locations for connecting the cables and pipelines to the onshore power grid and hydrogen network.
• Promising locations for large-scale onshore electrolysis.

Routes and Locations Surveyed

The VAWOZ program has investigated potential routes, landfall locations (where the lines come ashore), and connection points (where they connect to the onshore power grid) in five regions, both on land and in the North Sea.

• North Brabant: Electric landings inMoerdijk.
• North Holland: Landings at locations including Julianadorp, Egmond aan Zee, Castricum, Velsen-Noord/Heemskerk, and IJmuiden, with connections to existing and future high-voltage substations. Hydrogen connection sites have also been investigated near Den Helder and the Tata Steel Netherlands site.
• South Holland: Connecting wind energy to power stations in Bleiswijk, Wateringen, Simonshaven, and Europoort; the possibility of bringing hydrogen ashore at the Maasvlakte has also been considered.
• Zeeland: Electricity landing in the Sloe area and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. The hydrogen landing in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen has been canceled.
• Northern Netherlands: Routes for electricity and hydrogen have been studied within PAWOZ-Eemshaven and included in VAWOZ. For electricity connections, these are the Oude Westereems route and the Tunnel route. For hydrogen, they are the Ameland-Wantij route, the Zoutkamperlaag, and the Tunnel route.
• North Sea: Connections extend from multiple wind farms, with a focus on short routes and minimal impacts on, among other things, fishing, shipping, ecology, and safety.

In Moerdijk, a maximum of 2 offshore wind landings

In Moerdijk, the VAWOZ Program has investigated the possibilities for up to two offshore wind power landings. The VAWOZ Program has also examined the spatial feasibility of large-scale electrolysis at the potential landing site in Moerdijk. An electrolyzer is a “hydrogen plant” that produces green hydrogen using electricity generated from wind energy.

As part of theNederwiek 3project, alternative cable routes and potential sites for converter stations for the landings in Moerdijk (and Geertruidenberg) were investigated. The VAWOZ Program draws on the results of the Nederwiek 3 study.

Program Phase and Regional Recommendations

The VAWOZ program is currently in the phase in which the draft program is being prepared. This document will outline the preferred alternatives (VKAs), which will later be further developed through project procedures.

Continued

The draft program will be made available for public review in the second quarter of this year. This means the document will be made public. From that point on, everyone will have six weeks to submit comments on it. Information sessions and webinars will also be organized. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy will respond to these comments in a Response Memorandum, which may lead to adjustments to the plan. The Minister of Climate and Green Growth will then adopt the final plan. Once the plan is adopted, TenneT and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy will further develop the preferred alternatives into project procedures, with the involvement of the local community.

More information about VAWOZ

• View theplans for the North Brabant region 
• Public Brochure (March 4, 2026) – VAWOZ Program
• Animation for the “Connections: Wind on Sea” program. You can find the animation under the heading “Animation – What is the VAWOZ program?”