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The construction of six, Nordex 800 kW turbines in the Hoekse Ward south of Rotterdam by NUON-owned wind energy development agency, WEOM, takes the Netherlands' total installed capacity above 500 MW. The new plant brings total production from wind energy to some 1 billion kWh -- 0.94% of the national electricity requirement. With 20 MW already built this year early indications suggest that new capacity in 2002 will break all national records. Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas alone anticipates building some 135 MW of new capacity in the Netherlands this year, more than treble the capacity installed in total last year and shattering 1995's record annual record of 105 MW. Gert-Jan Knippenberg of Vestas-Nederland will not release project details, but says the company will incur penalties if it fails to supply a total of 89 turbines this year to Dutch projects, including 60 Vestas 1.75 MW units and six of the 2 MW model. Lagerwey, the only Dutch turbine manufacturer, is also set to make a significant return to the domestic market after several years of export-oriented activity with the construction of eight 750 kW turbines for power company NUON's multi-phase wind farm in the Wieringermeer, Noord Holland. Four wind farms are slated for the area and will add 50 MW to the national total, of which NUON expects that around 40 MW will be built this year. As the Dutch representative of Bonus, Lagerwey is also involved in the construction of five 1.3 MW Bonus turbines at the Windpark Ettenleur near Breda, to be built in July. Elsewhere, Siemens Nederland will be refitting the Slufterdam wind farm in the Maas estuary with eight Enron 1.5 MW machines, while in Groningen hopes are high that the long planned 60 MW Enron equipped Delfzijl Zuid wind farm will be approved by the Raad van State, the government's highest advisory body. Meantime, BP/Chevron plans to build ten Nordex 2.5 MW machines at its Rotterdam, Nerefco refinery this year. If realised they will put the icing on the cake of a spectacular Dutch wind year.