The Netherlands is now home to the largest freshwater wind farm in the world. Windpark Fryslân spins 89 wind turbines in Lake Ijssel, generating enough electricity to power about half a million homes.

Completed in 2021, the wind farm’s turbines are arranged in a hexagon shape to minimize visual obstruction of the horizon. The power facility has the capacity to generate 1.5 TWh annually, equivalent to approximately 1.2% of electricity use in the Netherlands. In 2022, the installation produced 1.236 TWh.

The largest freshwater wind farm in the world. Source: Windpark Fryslân

A major constraint encountered during installation of the wind farm was the size of ships that could be used to transport construction materials and turbine components to the site. The vessels had to both fit through the locks in a 32-km-long dike, which provides flood protection and separates the lake from the Wadden Sea and operate in the shallow waters of the lake. Installing the 130-m-diamaer rotors required waiting for windows of relative calm in this naturally windy place.

An artificial island created to support construction now serves as a bird and nature sanctuary in a project that provides bot renewable energy and recreational opportunities.