Nederwiek III-A is the first of two 1 GW offshore wind farm sub-sites carved out of the original 2 GW Nederwiek 3 wind area in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, about 100 km off the Dutch coast. The split into III-A and III-B (also referred to as Nederwiek 3a and 3b in Dutch source documents) wa...
On 31 March 2026, the Dutch Minister of Climate and Green Growth formalised a decision to establish a new offshore electricity bidding zone for the Nederwiek 3 wind farm sites (Nederwiek 3a and 3b), linked to the planned LionLink hybrid interconnector. The new zone, connected via TenneT’s Nederwiek 3 offshore platform, will operate as a separate market area to address structural congestion on the connection to shore, and the minister indicated that tailored financial support may be provided to ensure the business case for the Nederwiek 3 offshore wind projects in this new bidding zone.
In early 2026, TenneT commenced field and soil investigations for Net op zee Nederwiek 3, including ground investigations around the Haringvlietdam and in Geertruidenberg, to characterise onshore subsurface conditions along the export cable route and at the future converter station location serving the Nederwiek III wind farm.
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Nederwiek 3a, Nederwiek III-A, NW III-A, Nederwiek Site III-A, Nederwiek 3 wind energy area, Nederwiek 3 wind farm site, Nederwiek 3, Nederwiek III offshore wind farm, Nederwiek Site III, Nederwiek III (NW III)
In July 2025, TenneT initiated drone-based investigations for unexploded ordnance (UXO) along the planned cable route for Net op zee Nederwiek 3, which will connect the Nederwiek III wind area to shore, as reported in a project news item titled "Drone onderzoek naar onontplofte explosieven langs kabelroute Nederwiek 3".
In early 2025, Dutch Climate and Green Growth Minister Sophie Hermans included the LionLink interconnector in the country’s latest Offshore Wind Energy Development Framework as a project to be realised via the Nederwiek 3 offshore grid connection. This policy decision authorised TenneT to make investments in LionLink, a first-of-its-kind DC hybrid interconnector that will connect the Nederwiek 3 offshore wind farm grid connection to both the Dutch and UK onshore high-voltage networks, and triggered coordinated regulatory work in the Netherlands and UK to enable its implementation by around 2032.
At the end of January 2025, the Dutch Ministers of Climate and Green Growth (KGG) and of Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO) selected the Standhazensedijk in Geertruidenberg as the preferred landfall and converter station location for Net op zee Nederwiek 3, with the preferred cable route following the inland waterways via the Voordelta, Haringvliet, Hollandsch Diep, and Amer, thereby fixing the onshore connection corridor for the future Nederwiek III wind farm.
On 30 January 2025, the Ministers of Climate and Green Growth (KGG) and of Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO) adopted a voorbereidingsbesluit for Net op zee Nederwiek 3, entering into force the same day, to prevent spatial developments that could obstruct implementation of the offshore grid connection.
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) planned geotechnical investigation campaigns for the Nederwiek Wind Farm Zone sites II and III, including offshore cone penetration tests, temperature CPTs, vibrocoring, and boreholes to 60–80 metres below seabed, with the campaigns scheduled for 2024 and an option to start Lot 1 at the end of 2023.
By 21 November 2024, extensive desktop and data-driven studies had mapped key seabed and environmental constraints for the Nederwiek wind farm zone, including Nederwiek III, with Svašek Hydraulics delivering morphodynamics and scour and scour-protection analyses, complemented by UXO, geological, and archaeological desk studies for Nederwiek I, II, and III, which were presented in a dedicated webinar.
Between 20 September and 31 October 2024, the MER fase 1 and IEA for Net op zee Nederwiek 3 were placed on public display, allowing stakeholders and the public to submit views on the different cable route and converter station location options around Geertruidenberg and Moerdijk.
Phase 1 of the environmental impact report (Milieueffectrapport, MER fase 1) and the Integral Effect Analysis (IEA) for Net op zee Nederwiek 3, covering cable route and converter station alternatives near Geertruidenberg and Moerdijk, were completed and formally made available to support ministerial selection of a preferred alternative.
On 29 August 2023, Fugro announced that it had been awarded two geotechnical investigation contracts by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for the development of the Dutch Nederwiek wind farm sites II & III (noord), which include the Nederwiek III offshore wind area. The contracts form part of the Dutch Government’s Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap 2030/31 and cover a total area of 600 km². Under the awards, Fugro will carry out large-scale seabed and subsurface Geo-data acquisition using advanced geotechnical vessels and technologies, providing comprehensive data sets to support preliminary engineering designs, future project tenders, and related studies such as power cable design, archaeology, and marine biology for the Nederwiek sites.
In June 2023, Belgian survey company GEOxyz began work on the Nederwiek 3 (NW3) export cable route under a contract from TenneT covering both geophysical and geotechnical route surveys from Stellendam to Geertruidenberg, with optional offshore and nearshore sections near the wind farm. GEOxyz had mobilised dedicated survey vessels Geosurveyor VIII and Geosurveyor V for the inland and nearshore parts of the route, with other assets scheduled for offshore, ultra‑shallow and land sections. The geotechnical scope includes seabed investigations with a required penetration depth of around 10 m for geotechnical sampling, using a novel marine sampling technique to obtain high‑quality soil samples. Data from these surveys will be used to build a geological model of the cable corridor and feed into a Burial Assessment Study to inform cable design and installation methodology.
From 2 June to 13 July 2023, the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (KGG), via Bureau Energieprojecten (RVO), ran a public consultation on the draft Notitie Reikwijdte en Detailniveau (concept-NRD) for the environmental impact assessment (MER) of Net op zee Nederwiek 3, the 2 GW offshore grid connection for the Nederwiek wind energy area.
On 23 June 2023, TenneT awarded Belgian survey specialist GEOxyz a contract to perform combined geophysical and geotechnical surveys for the export cable route of the Nederwiek 3 Offshore Wind Farm in the Netherlands. Under the contract, GEOxyz will execute the route survey for the inland section in lake and riverine environments between Stellendam and Geertruidenberg, with optional scope covering the offshore section near the Nederwiek wind farm and the nearshore area south of the Port of Rotterdam. The work aims to investigate the suitability of the envisaged cable corridor, map seabed topography, and identify obstructions so that a geological model and Burial Assessment Study can be produced to inform cable design and installation methodology.
In June 2023, GEOxyz commenced geophysical survey activities for the Nederwiek 3 (NW3) export cable route after being selected by TenneT to perform geophysical and geotechnical route surveys. To execute the work along the inland and nearshore sections of the planned underground high‑voltage connection from the Nederwiek offshore wind farm towards Geertruidenberg or Moerdijk, GEOxyz mobilised its dedicated survey vessels Geosurveyor VIII and Geosurveyor V. This mobilisation of specialised survey vessels and associated assets marks the start of the geophysical route survey campaign for the Nederwiek 3 export cable corridor, covering inland, lake, riverine and nearshore environments from Stellendam to Geertruidenberg.
On 31 March 2023, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) issued a formal procurement notice for geotechnical investigations in the Nederwiek Wind Farm Zone, covering potential offshore wind sites including sites II and III. The tender is split into two lots: Lot 1 covers a seabed cone penetration test (CPT) and vibrocore campaign with basic laboratory testing and reporting, plus ecological soil and water sampling for the NW Investigation Area; Lot 2 covers a borehole campaign with in-situ downhole testing and standard and advanced laboratory tests. The results from these investigations will be published for use by participants in the concession tenders for the offshore wind farm sites in the zone. The work under this tender is expected to be completed in early 2025, followed by a webinar in early 2026 to present the findings.
In 2022, the Dutch government decided to start the spatial planning procedure for the Net op zee Nederwiek 3 connection, examining options to bring power from the Nederwiek wind energy area ashore via the Geertruidenberg or Moerdijk region. This decision launched the formal spatial and permitting process for the offshore grid connection that will serve the Nederwiek 3 offshore wind farm.
In March 2022, the Dutch government formally designated Nederwiek as one of three new offshore wind energy areas in the North Sea, alongside Lagelander and Doordewind, doubling planned national offshore wind capacity to around 21 GW by 2030 and establishing the wind energy zone within which the 2 GW Nederwiek III site will be developed.
Through the 2021 "Verkenning aanlanding wind op zee 2030" (VAWOZ 2030) system study, reported to Parliament on 2 December 2021, the Dutch government assessed options for landing additional offshore wind and concluded that a 2 GW connection from wind energy area Nederwiek Noord to Geertruidenberg or Moerdijk is promising, providing the system basis for the Net op zee Nederwiek 3 grid connection serving the future Nederwiek III wind farm.
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