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De eerste monopile van Ecowende wordt geplaatst, 2 december 2025 (Foto: Van Oord)

Bouw Shells vierde windpark voor de Nederlandse kust begonnen

De constructie van Shells vierde windpark op de Noordzee is op 2 december echt begonnen, met de plaatsing van de eerste van 52 monopiles van Hollandse Kust West. Als joint venture Ecowende bouwen Shell, Eneco en Chubu samen met partners het meest ecologische windpark to nu toe. 

De monopiles zijn de fundamenten waarop later de windturbines worden geïnstalleerd. Ze zijn op de Tweede Maasvlakte door Sif Offshore Foundations gebouwd. Voor het transport en de installatie van de monopiles is Van Oord aangetrokken. De internationale waterbouwer zet hiervoor haar gloednieuwe installatieschip Boreas in. Het Rotterdamse bedrijf zal ook de bekabeling binnen het windpark leggen en aansluiten, de windturbines transporteren en de erosiebescherming aan de voet van de funderingen ontwerpen en aanbrengen.

“Onderwatergeluid minimaliseren”

“Installatie van de eerste monopile is een belangrijke mijlpaal voor Ecowende”, aldus Tjalling de Bruin, directeur van Ecowende. “Het brengt ons niet alleen een stap dichter bij de realisatie van het windpark, maar het laat ons ook de innovatieve installatietechnieken testen waarmee we onderwatergeluid minimaliseren. We zijn trots dat we samenwerken met partners als Van Oord die onze ambitie om een windpark te bouwen in harmonie met de natuur volledig omarmen en de uitrol op grote schaal van windparken op zee in Nederland en daarbuiten helpt versnellen.”

“Energietransitie vooruit te sturen”

“We zijn trots dat we met de start van de bouw van Hollandse Kust West bijdragen aan het meest ecologische windpark in Nederland”, zegt Jan-Willem Elleswijk, projectdirecteur bij Van Oord. “Dit project illustreert Van Oords leidende rol binnen de sector op het gebied van het bouwen van de energie-infrastructuur van morgen en onderstreept hoe toegewijd we zijn om de energietransitie vooruit te blijven stuwen.”

Vogelleven

De door Sif gebouwde monopiles hebben doorsnedes van 8,8 en 9,3 meter. Daarmee kunnen windturbines van verschillende hoogtes worden gemaakt. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat hogere tiphoogtes van de turbines vogels mogelijk meer ruimte bieden om veilig door het windpark heen te vliegen en zo het risico op aanvaringen vermindert.

Ecowende gaat het gedrag van vogels en het aantal aanvaringen bijhouden tijdens de bouw, maar ook gedurende de gehele levensduur van het windpark om de kennis van natuurinclusieve ontwikkeling van windparken op zee verder te brengen.

Over windpark Hollandse Kust West

Hollandse Kust West (Kavel VI) is speciaal ontworpen om zowel tijdens de bouw als tijdens het gebruik de effecten van het opwekken van windenergie op het zeeleven in en boven het water te beperken, en de biodiversiteit te bevorderen.

Het Ecowende-windpark komt op zo’n 53 kilometer van de Nederlandse kust, ter hoogte van IJmuiden, met een operationeel vermogen van circa 760 MW. Het plan is om het windpark eind 2026 in gebruik te nemen.

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Cautionary note

The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The term “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties.  The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest. 

Forward-looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ‘‘anticipate’’; ‘‘believe’’; “commit”; “commitment”; ‘‘could’’; ‘‘estimate’’; ‘‘expect’’; ‘‘goals’’; ‘‘intend’’; ‘‘may’’; “milestones”; ‘‘objectives’’; ‘‘outlook’’; ‘‘plan’’; ‘‘probably’’; ‘‘project’’; ‘‘risks’’; “schedule”; ‘‘seek’’; ‘‘should’’; ‘‘target’’; ‘‘will’’; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and a significant cybersecurity breach; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader.  Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, December 4, 2025. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.

Shell’s Net Carbon Intensity

Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” or NCI are for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.

Shell’s net-zero emissions target

Shell’s operating plan, outlook and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2 and NCI targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target. 

Forward-looking non-GAAP measures

This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.

The contents of websites referred to in this announcement do not form part of this announcement.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov

Plaatsing van de eerste monopile van Hollandse Kust West (Ecowende) (Foto: Van Oord)
Plaatsing van de eerste monopile van Hollandse Kust West (Ecowende) (Foto: Van Oord)
Close-up van het schip Boreas van Van Oord (Foto: Van Oord)
Close-up van de plaatsing van de eerste monopile van Hollandse Kust West (Ecowende) (Foto: Van Oord)
Plaatsing van de eerste monopile van Hollandse Kust West (Ecowende) (Foto: Van Oord)

English version

Construction of Shell’s fourth offshore wind farm has begun

4 Dec. 2025

The construction of Shell’s fourth wind farm in the North Sea officially started on December 2 with the installation of the first of 52 monopiles for Hollandse Kust West. As part of the Ecowende joint venture, Shell, Eneco, and Chubu are working with partners to build the most ecological wind farm to date.

The monopiles form the foundations on which the wind turbines will later be installed. They were manufactured by Sif Offshore Foundations at the Tweede Maasvlakte, near Rotterdam. Van Oord has been contracted for the transport and installation of the monopiles. The international marine contractor is deploying its brand-new installation vessel, Boreas, for this purpose. The Rotterdam-based company will also lay and connect the inter-array cables, transport the wind turbines, and design and install scour protection at the base of the foundations.

“Minimising underwater noise”

“The installation of the first monopile is an important milestone for Ecowende,” says Tjalling de Bruin, Managing Director of Ecowende. “It not only brings us closer to realising the wind farm, but also allows us to test innovative installation techniques that minimise underwater noise. We are proud to work with partners like Van Oord, who fully embrace our ambition to build a wind farm in harmony with nature and help accelerate the large-scale rollout of offshore wind farms in the Netherlands and beyond.”

“Driving the energy transition forward”

“We are proud that with the start of construction at Hollandse Kust West we are contributing to the most ecological wind farm in the Netherlands,” says Jan-Willem Elleswijk, Project Director at Van Oord. “This project illustrates Van Oord’s leading role in building the energy infrastructure of tomorrow and underscores our commitment to driving the energy transition forward.”

Birdlife

The monopiles built by Sif have diametres of 8.8 and 9.3 meters (28.9 and 30.5 feet), enabling the installation of wind turbines of varying heights. Research suggests that higher tip heights may give birds more space to fly safely through the wind farm, reducing the risk of collisions.

Ecowende will monitor bird behavior and collision rates during construction and throughout the wind farm’s lifetime to advance knowledge on nature-inclusive offshore wind development.

About Hollandse Kust West

Hollandse Kust West (Site VI) has been specially designed to minimise the impact of wind energy generation on marine life both during construction and operation, while promoting biodiversity.

The Ecowende wind farm will be located about 53 kilometres (33 miles) off the Dutch coast near the town of IJmuiden, and has an operational capacity of approximately 760 MW. The wind farm is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2026.

Learn more:

 

Cautionary note

The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The term “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties.  The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest. 

Forward-looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”; “ambition”; ‘‘anticipate’’; ‘‘believe’’; “commit”; “commitment”; ‘‘could’’; ‘‘estimate’’; ‘‘expect’’; ‘‘goals’’; ‘‘intend’’; ‘‘may’’; “milestones”; ‘‘objectives’’; ‘‘outlook’’; ‘‘plan’’; ‘‘probably’’; ‘‘project’’; ‘‘risks’’; “schedule”; ‘‘seek’’; ‘‘should’’; ‘‘target’’; ‘‘will’’; “would” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, regional conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and a significant cybersecurity breach; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 (available at www.shell.com/investors/news-and-filings/sec-filings.html and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader.  Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, December 4, 2025. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement.

Shell’s Net Carbon Intensity

Also, in this announcement we may refer to Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” (NCI), which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell’s NCI also includes the emissions associated with the production and use of energy products produced by others which Shell purchases for resale. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the terms Shell’s “Net Carbon Intensity” or NCI are for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.

Shell’s net-zero emissions target

Shell’s operating plan, outlook and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2 and NCI targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target, as this target is currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target. 

Forward-looking non-GAAP measures

This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements.

The contents of websites referred to in this announcement do not form part of this announcement.

We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov

Installation of the first monopile of Hollandse Kust West (Ecowende) (Photo: Van Oord)
Installation of the first monopile of Hollandse Kust West (Ecowende) (Photo: Van Oord)
Close-up of the vessel Boreas of Van Oord (Photo: Van Oord)
Close-up of the installation of the first monopile of Hollandse Kust West (Ecowende)
Installation of the first monopile of Hollandse Kust West (Ecowende)

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