A partnership between Google and Shell extends the life of the first offshore wind farm in the Netherlands, Shell NoordzeeWind. Through a power purchase agreement (PPA), Google is buying 100% of the wind farm’s 108-megawatt capacity while enabling Shell to pursue permits and investments to keep the wind farm running for another four years past its planned decommission date.
Extending the Life of Clean Energy
Despite its potential to continue producing clean electricity, the wind farm was scheduled to retire before Google and Shell’s efforts. This is the first time a corporate PPA has been used to extend the life of an offshore energy farm.
“As a result, this wind farm will continue to supply renewable electricity to the Dutch power grid for a longer period of time and thus contribute to the sustainability and energy independence of the Netherlands,” said Marc Hoenders, Director of Energy Transition Realisation at the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth.
According to a Sustainability Magazine‘s report, the wind farm will instead remain a contributor to the Dutch grid.
Google emphasized the fact that this is not the tech giant’s first time supporting clean energy. “To date, we’ve supported over 1 gigawatt of clean energy generation capacity2 in the Netherlands through PPAs,” the company stated in a blog post.
“This investment in offshore wind, including our largest offshore wind project ever, reflects our broader commitment to a carbon-free future and our hope to inspire similar partnerships giving new life to clean energy assets facing retirement.”
Google’s largest wind project ever refers to the company’s PPA in 2024 that added over 700 megawatts of clean energy capacity to European grids.
In addition, Shell aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. This agreement adds to the company’s investments in low-carbon solutions such as offshore wind and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The offshore wind farm features 36 turbines installed 10 to 18 kilometers (roughly 6 to 11 miles) off the coast.
According to OffshoreWIND, Google will use the 108 megawatts of green electricity to power its Netherlands-based operations, offices, and data centers with clean energy.
