Shell, Nuon Open First Dutch Offshore Wind Farm

Shell and Nuon invested over 200 million euros (US$270M) in the 108 MW wind park on the North Sea, which also serves as a demonstration project to gain technical knowledge and monitor the affects on marine life.

Official data show that wind production contributes 2.37% of electricity in the Netherlands, up from 1.81% in 2005.

Wind has been slow to take off in the country because of bureacracy. Licensing used to take five years, the longest in Europe.

In 2004, the country lifted a ban on the construction of offshore wind farms in the North Sea.

Shell, which sees wind energy as one of the promising renewable energy technologies, says it will continue to invest in wind farms.