26th October 2023 in Construction, Supply Chain
Sofia Offshore Wind Farm and Dogger Bank C, the third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, will begin transporting electricity transformers from Teesport to the home of both projects’ onshore converter station sites near Lazenby from late October into mid-December.
There will be four Sofia deliveries anticipated, starting on the Saturday mornings of 28 October and 4, 11 and 18 November. Each delivery will take approximately one hour, depending on the conditions.
There will also be a series of deliveries to support Dogger Bank C Wind Farm’s converter station construction programme. The transformers will take the same route and commence on 18 November, followed by 25 November and 2 and 9 December.
The transformers will travel from Teesport via the A1015 and A174 and will be delivered on specialist girder frame trailers provided by UK firm Allelys. The size of the transformers requires the use of abnormal load vehicles due to being approximately 35m long and 4.55m wide – with the load travelling at roughly 10 -15 miles per hour.
Chris O’Donnell, Site Manager for DBC Onshore Converter Station said:
“While we will do everything we can to minimise disruption during these deliveries, it is possible some journey times may be slightly longer than normal and we would ask occupants and local residents for their patience as we carry out this critical work.”
“Delivery of these transformers is an important milestone for the construction of our infrastructure in Redcar.”
“We are extremely grateful for the ongoing patience and understanding of the communities in this area as we build the infrastructure that will help the UK to reduce carbon emissions and create a secure electricity supply for 6 million UK homes.”
Matthew Archer, Site Manager for Sofia Onshore Converter Station said:
“Sofia will be RWE’s most state-of-the-art offshore wind farm yet and a major addition to our growing portfolio of renewable energy assets.”
“Work on the station at Wilton continues at pace, and the arrival of these transformers is an important moment for the project.”
“As ever I’d like to thank the local community for their patience. We’re doing our best to keep disruption down to a minimum at all times. In this instance we expect that there may be some minor disruption to the roads linking Teesport to our Wilton site, with some journey times taking a little longer around mid-morning on affected days.”
Sofia and Dogger Bank C’s contractors GE and Hitachi Energy are currently working on the two projects’ respective onshore converter stations (OCS), that will convert electricity from the two offshore wind farms into a current that will go into the national grid network for distribution to homes and businesses.
The projects are both located on Dogger Bank, more than 195 kilometres from the north-east coast of England, with their export cables coming ashore on Teesside, between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea.
Sofia is 100% owned by RWE, and Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn. Although they are owned by different companies, the developers realised early that it made sense to work jointly on their shared cable corridor, with civil engineering works being carried out by J Murphy & Sons (JMS). Sofia is leading the works on behalf of both projects.
If you’d like to know more about either project, please visit: Sofia Offshore Wind Farm or Dogger Bank Wind Farm
We also provide regular updates on our social media channels @DoggerBankWind and @sofiawindfarm
Delivery dates were correct at the date of issue; however they may be subject to potential change at short notice.
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21st August 2023 in Community News, Press releases
- 62 scholarships are available during the construction of the wind farm, for students in these communities studying science, technology, engineering and maths subjects to support the cost of further education.
- The programme is open to students in South Tyneside, Redcar and Cleveland and East Riding of Yorkshire.
- The scholarship fund will support students undertaking courses focussed on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) courses, to help young people prepare for working life in a net zero world.
Students from coastal communities in the north and north-east of England are reminded that the third year scholarship fund closes for applications in less than two weeks.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s Scholarship Fund provides grants of £5,000 to local students undertaking science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) courses in further education, with a total of 62 scholarships being awarded during the world’s largest wind farm’s construction phase.
The scholarship fund focuses on the areas of East Riding of Yorkshire, and Redcar and Cleveland, where the windfarm connects to the National Grid, as well as South Tyneside, where the Operation and Maintenance Base will be located.
Students should take note they only have until 1 September 2023 to apply for this year’s round of support. Further details and how to apply can be found at https://doggerbank.com/about/community/.
Oliver Cass, Project Director from Dogger Bank Wind Farm said
“The third round of the scholarship fund has once again proven very popular, it’s great to see the quality of applicants remains high and we encourage local students to make their application before the closing date next month. As we build the world’s largest offshore wind farm, we’re proud to continue supporting young people at a key stage in their educations and preparing for working life in a net zero world.”
Dogger Bank has already awarded 50 scholarships to date to local students undertaking science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) courses in further education to help young people prepare for working life in a net zero world and support students with tuition fees at a key stage in their educations.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be located more than 130 km off the northeast coast and will generate enough renewable energy to power six million UK homes. A joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). The wind farm is being built in three consecutive 1.2 GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C – connecting to the National Grid in both East Riding of Yorkshire and on Teesside.
SSE Renewables is leading on the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years.
In June 2021, Dogger Bank Wind Farm unveiled plans for a £1 million construction fund to support coastal communities where its onshore infrastructure is being developed. The programme includes a significant investment in science, technology, engineering, and maths, as well as an operators fund to support local causes. Further information is available at www.doggerbank.com/about/community/
Further details on the scholarship fund and community investment from Dogger Bank can be found here.
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Picture caption: The scholarship fund will support students studying science, technology, engineering, and maths, to help prepare them for the highly skilled jobs in a net zero world.
21st July 2023 in Community News, Press releases
Building our Future, the STEM-focussed primary careers-learning programme, funded by Dogger Bank Wind Farm, held its first year celebration at Redcar & Cleveland College recently.
The Building Our Future programme aims to embed careers education into every primary school in Redcar and Cleveland through engaging workshops supported by local employers. The programme is being delivered by Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency with strategic support and guidance from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
Joined by employers, partners and schools, the programme leaders highlighted the success of the first year’s programme, delivered after a pilot programme in 2021-22.
More than 560 young people from 20 Redcar & Cleveland primary and SEND schools have worked with the Building our Future team, and local employers, to learn the skills and knowledge required for the future workforce, particularly within renewable energy industries, such as Dogger Bank.
John Anthony, Vice Chair, Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency:
The “Building our Futures” programme is undoubtedly a triumph for teamwork but most importantly a triumph for all the young people who have grown through the process and for those who are still to benefit.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm have supported the programme, not only with funding and resources, but ensuring commitment for employer engagement with schools across their wide and diverse supply chain partnerships. The project unveiled plans for our £1 million investment in key communities of Redcar & Cleveland, East Riding of Yorkshire and South Tyneside in June 2021.
The Dogger Bank team worked with local education providers in Redcar and Cleveland to create a bespoke legacy for the wind farm that tackles the specific educational needs of each community and directly addresses the requirements of young people in the region.
Lindsay Dougan, Community Investment Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:
“We’d like to say a huge thanks to everyone who’s made this programme a success in its first year, especially those local employers who’ve given up their time to give 562 children the opportunity to learn about a diverse range of STEM careers right on their doorstep. To hear the children talking so enthusiastically and in such an informed way about STEM, is a testament to the hard work of many organisations and individuals working together to raise aspirations and help young people to unlock their potential.”
Employers working on local regeneration projects are also committing resources and time as part of their corporate social responsibility, to the Building our Future programme, allowing pupils to visit local sites, and work with a range of staff, including project managers, civil engineers and architects.
Luke Myer, Elected Member and Lead for Children and Families, said:
“Building our Future is an inspiring programme that is benefitting many children in Redcar and Cleveland, highlighting to them what they could be become in the future through the wide range of local STEM businesses and job roles. We are grateful to all the employers and partners who have made the programme such a success over the past year.”
Building our Future has also been able to offer wider support to schools with science curriculum resources and activities, visits to local colleges, literacy materials courtesy of Dogger Bank Wind Farm sub-supplier Keltbray and its When I Grow Up book, and National Careers Week career events.
Quote from Stuart Wilson BEng (Hons) CEng MIET, Technical Director, Sweco, said:
The “Building our Future” programme is all about inspiring the next generation of Engineers which aligns with my own principles and those of Sweco where “we plan and design the sustainable cities and communities of our future …however I was never given the opportunity to understand the diverse opportunities that a career in Engineering could offer. This is why it is really important to me personally to be able to work with our future generations so they better understand how diverse a career in Engineering can be and this is exactly what the fantastic Building our Future programme is all about.”
6th July 2023 in Press releases, Supply Chain
CHC Helicopter, a global helicopter services company specialising in offshore transportation, has been awarded a contract to support the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
CHC has been contracted to provide crew change support for the development of the first phase of the project – Dogger Bank A, with the first flights launched at the end of April. The company is providing AW139 and H175 aircraft to support the contract from its Norwich base.
Alan Borland, Project Manager, Dogger Bank Wind Farm said:
“Being so far from shore presents new challenges to how we manage logistics in Offshore wind, which can only be overcome through the use of trusted suppliers so we are delighted that CHC will join the project to as our aviation partner to support us in our crew changes during the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.”
CHC Helicopter has a long-standing track record of delivering innovative aviation solutions in challenging environments worldwide.
David Grant, Sales Director, EMEA, said:
“We are thrilled to be selected as the aviation partner for the construction of the world’s largest offshore wind farm. This significant project represents a major step towards achieving a greener future, and we are fully committed to supporting the development of sustainable energy sources. Our team is hard at work already to provide safe and efficient services to ensure the success and on-time completion of this ambitious undertaking.”
29th June 2023 in Community News, Press releases
An interactive STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) workshop was held at Bankfields Primary School as part of Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s ongoing commitment to coastal communities during its construction phase.
The Building Our Future primary careers workshop was led by the wind farm’s supply chain partner, Hitachi Energy and the Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency (RCVDA).
The Eston-based school is situated less than 4 miles from the convertor station construction site at Lazenby for the third phase of the wind farm, known as Dogger Bank C.
The project unveiled plans for its £1 million investment in communities in June 2021 and the Dogger Bank team has worked with local education providers in East Riding of Yorkshire, Redcar & Cleveland and South Tyneside to create a bespoke legacy for the wind farm that tackles the specific educational needs of each community and directly addresses the requirements of young people in the region.
The Building Our Future programme aims to embed careers education into every primary school in Redcar and Cleveland through engaging workshops supported by local employers. The programme is being delivered by Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency with strategic support and guidance from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
562 children from 20 schools have taken part in Building Our Futures workshops since its launch last year.
In addition to enhancing STEM provision in the classroom, several local students from Redcar and Cleveland will receive a scholarship to help with the cost of further education qualifications while studying STEM subjects. Last year, an additional twenty-five students from coastal communities in the north and north-east of England were supported with the cost of further education, thanks to the scholarship programme of £5,000 each from Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The Scholarship Fund provides grants to local students undertaking STEM courses in further education. The recently awarded grants were part of the second round of the fund, with 50 scholarships awarded to date and a total of 62 scholarships available during the construction of the wind farm. The initiative focuses on the areas of East Riding of Yorkshire and Redcar and Cleveland, where the windfarm will connect to the National Grid, as well as South Tyneside, where the Operation and Maintenance Base is located.
The application process for the Dogger Bank Scholarship programme has now re-opened to applicants until 1 September 2023. To apply, please click here.
During the session at Bankfields Primary School, students had the opportunity to work closely with local employers and get a unique understanding of the world of work, by introducing them to a wide range of alternative occupations. During the workshop, under the guidance of industry experts from Hitachi Energy, Bankfields Year 5 classes were provided with makeshift materials and tools to assemble wind turbines and explore how wind power can be harnessed to generate electricity.
The children also learned about the various energy sources and the fundamental principles behind wind energy, gaining insights into the mechanics of turbines and exploring the importance of sustainable practices.
Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency Primary Careers Co-ordinator, Jacqui Hutchinson said:
“Just a year into this programme we are already seeing the difference it’s making to children aged 5 to 11. Young people are demonstrating more interest and enthusiasm for STEM careers, and they’re using this knowledge to make sense of the world around them.”
Hitachi Energy Site Administrator, Leanne Smith said:
“It’s important for the supply chain to support the programme, to provide knowledge about the renewable energy sector and how this type of work now, will benefit the youngsters in the future. Hopefully the children will have a better understanding between renewable and non-renewable resources and encourage them to choose a greener option.”
STEM, careers and enterprise lead at Bankfields Primary, Megan Kelly said:
“Our children were given the opportunity to learn about some of the many careers in renewable energy. The afternoon was informative, fun and inspirational and the children absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for opening their minds to new possibilities.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Community Engagement Officer, Alexandria Hanson said:
“We’re grateful to all the local employers who’ve got behind this Dogger Bank Wind Farm-funded programme in its first year.
“We’ve had a great response from our supply chain partners, who recognise the importance of giving back to local communities and inspiring the next generation of STEM experts.
“As we celebrate Wind Energy Week this week, we reflect on the difference we’re able to make to young people by funding a programme that puts innovation and skills at the heart of their educational experiences.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be located more than 130 km off the northeast coast and will generate enough renewable energy to power six million UK homes. A joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). SSE Renewables is leading on the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years.
The wind farm is being built in three consecutive 1.2 GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C – connecting to the National Grid in both East Riding of Yorkshire and on Teesside. The third phase of the wind farm, Dogger Bank C, will reach landfall at Marske-by-the-sea. The underground onshore cables will be routed to an onshore convertor station near Lazenby, where preparation work is already underway. Once the current is converted, the renewable energy will make its way to an existing National Grid substation at Lackenby.
The wind farm also has an Operators Fund to support local charities and community groups, with grants up to £1000. This fund will help support projects which enhance the quality of life for residents, contribute to sustainable communities or help promote community spirit. Further information is available at here.
About Redcar and Cleveland Council:
Redcar and Cleveland Council is a local government organisation providing a range of services to East Riding residents including Council Tax billing, libraries, social services, processing planning applications, waste collection and disposal, and it is a local education authority. The councils’ education and schools, improvement and learning service which is the key service involved in this submission.
In the Redcar and Cleveland Council and beyond in South Tyneside and East Riding of Yorkshire, the Dogger Bank Wind Farm education partnerships are inspiring children and young people for a working life in a net-zero world. Within the East Riding during the construction of the wind farm, a unique partnership of local education networks and Dogger Bank Wind Farm aims to increase and expand the knowledge of children in STEM and the jobs of the future.
About the delivery partners:
Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency
Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency is a charity focused on social action, offering practical support and advocacy for registered charities, social enterprises and the hundreds of grass roots groups that make up the vibrant and growing voluntary sector in Redcar and Cleveland.
