BP bids for two Dutch offshore wind power leases

(Reuters) – Oil major BP has submitted bids to develop two offshore wind power leases in the Netherlands, it said on Thursday, as the company increases its focus on renewable energy.

BP has bid in the tender process for two wind farm sites at the Hollandse Kust (West) zone, located 53 kilometres off the Netherlands’ west coast with a potential 1.4-gigawatt power capacity.

The company said it would invest 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in more clean energy projects in the Netherlands if it is successful in the bids, which include a commitment to spend 75 million euros on ecological monitoring in the North Sea.

BP aims to produce 50,000 tonnes a year of green hydrogen from the wind farms, to meet its Rotterdam refinery demand and support sustainable aviation fuel production of 10,000 barrels a day, along with developing electric vehicle charging stations.

($1 = 0.9526 euros)

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V)