Ecowende: all 52 turbines installed at Dutch offshore wind farm, final commissioning ahead
Ecowende has finished installing all 52 turbines at its Hollandse Kust West offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea. It announced this on 2 November 2026. The campaign ran for exactly five months, starting on 30 May 2026, with Van Oord and Vestas.
The farm uses Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbines and will deliver about 760 MW. It lies roughly 53 km off IJmuiden. Ecowende is a joint venture of Shell, Eneco and Chubu Electric Power.
Vestas made the components and handled transport and pre-assembly at Eemshaven. Van Oord shipped them out on the vessel Boreas, which has a 3,310-tonne main crane. Vestas did the installation and commissioning with that crane.
The foundations (52 monopiles) were finished earlier in 2026. First power came in July, through the TenneT grid connection. Installation does not mean commissioning is done. The project still targets full operation by the end of 2026.
Solid bar = confirmed · outlined = planned · blue = long-term jobs
| ROLE | WHEN | DEMAND | CERTIFICATES THAT HELP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioning technician (electrical) | Now – Dec 2026 | MEDIUM | GWO BST, BTT, GWO Sea Survival, LV/HV authorisation |
| Mechanical completion technician | Now – Dec 2026 | LOW | GWO BST, BTT, GWO Sea Survival |
| Service technician (offshore) | From 2027 | STEADY | GWO BST, BTT, Sea Survival, Vestas OEM training |
The installation crews will be freed up now. Ask Vestas and other offshore contractors about the next campaigns. Commissioning experience on V236 turbines is a plus.
Very little new hiring is likely here, as the construction work is almost done. Get your GWO BST and Sea Survival certificates so you are ready when the next project starts.
Watch for long-term service jobs on this farm from 2027. Operation and maintenance work lasts for years.
Source: HMT News · Scale figures are rough estimates from field experience, not official numbers.