14th May 2024 in Construction, Press releases, Project news
Image: Seaway7’s vessel Seaway Strashnov in operations on Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The team working on what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, have started work on the foundation installation campaign for the second phase of the development.
Seaway7’s vessels Seaway Strashnov and Seaway Alfa Lift have commenced installation of monopile foundations and transition pieces for the Dogger Bank B phase of the offshore wind farm project.
The team recently completed installation of all 95 transition pieces on Dogger Bank A, thus concluding the installation of the foundations for the first phase of the project.
Olly Cass, Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, said:
“These installation milestones are the result of years of commitment and diligence from the project team and its delivery partners. As the world’s largest wind farm of its kind and due to the deployment of new turbine technology, every aspect of the wind farm has required us to come up with new innovative design and engineering solutions that will shape the future construction of offshore wind globally. We extend our thanks and congratulations to the many companies and individuals who’ve risen to this challenge and contributed to the milestone we’re celebrating today.”
Wouter van Dalen, Project Director, Seaway7, said:
“We are happy to welcome Seaway Strashnov back to the project to commence foundation installation on Dogger Bank B – leading on from the vessel’s good performance last year on Dogger Bank A. After introducing our brand-new heavy lift vessel Seaway Alfa Lift to the project in October, the vessel operated through the high weather season installing transition pieces on Dogger Bank A, and now continues this work in phase B. The foundation installation scope is making excellent progress, enabled by our strong collaboration with our client Dogger Bank Wind Farm and our subcontractors.”
The monopile foundations and transition pieces provide a solid and stable base for the scale of GE Vernova’s groundbreaking 13MW Haliade-X turbines. The monopile and transition piece structures were manufactured by Sif and Smulders and are being installed 80-miles off the Yorkshire coast by tier one contractor Seaway7.
Monopiles are the large-diameter tube-shaped steel structures that are installed in the seabed by the vessel using dynamic positioning technology.
The monopiles weigh in at up to 1,424 tonnes each and can measure up to 72.8 metres in length. The Dogger Bank transition pieces feature a pioneering split-level design to support safe installation and operation and have a record-breaking 8m flange to connect the monopiles and transition piece structures.
Confirmation of this offshore milestone on Dogger Bank B follows on from the successful installation of the offshore HVDC platform for the second phase of the wind farm in April.
A total of 277 monopiles and transition pieces will be installed across all three phases of the wind farm, with completion due in 2026.
Steel manufactured by Tata Steel in Wales and processed in Corby and Hartlepool is being used in the supporting components of the transition pieces, while South Tyneside-based Metec and Rochdale-based Granada Material Handling have also won contracts with Smulders to support this innovative and world-leading project.
Designed in the UK by experts from Wood Thilsted, Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s foundations have been optimised to tackle challenging wave loads in the Dogger Bank area of the North Sea, with installation in water depths of up to 32m and at a minimum distance of 130km from shore.
17th April 2024 in Construction, Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
Dogger Bank, set to become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, has achieved a significant milestone as the second unmanned High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) platform has been installed by Saipem.
The substation is the second of three platforms, each supplied by Aibel, to be installed at Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, which is being constructed in three phases known as A, B, and C, each with a capacity of 1.2GW.
The platform was installed 130km from the UK coastline at Dogger Bank B by Saipem using the Saipem 7000 vessel and features a Hitachi Energy HVDC system developed to transmit power more efficiently than traditional AC systems. The platform will receive 1.2GW of AC power generated by the 95 offshore wind turbines of Dogger Bank B, before converting it to DC for transmission to an onshore converter station located near Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire.
The first platform was installed at Dogger Bank A in April 2023, representing the first time this technology has been used in offshore wind in the UK. All three platforms will be controlled from shore and feature a lean design, resulting in a 70% weight reduction per MW compared to previous platform designs.
Mads Andersen, CEO and President of Aibel said:
“At Aibel, we recognize that our success is not measured solely by the completion of projects but by the lasting impact we leave on the industry. With this major on-time delivery of Dogger Bank B, we mark another important milestone in Aibel’s transition towards a greener industry. This achievement exemplifies the power of collaboration and reflects the enduring partnerships we have cultivated with industry leaders SSE Renewables, Equinor, Vårgrønn, and our esteemed partner, Hitachi Energy”.
Andreas Berthou, Head of HVDC at Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business, said:
“The urgent energy transition requires strong collaboration, new business models, and global standards. We are proud to be the technology partner for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm project, with HVDC being the force multiplier for the clean energy transition, increasing access to an energy system that is more sustainable, flexible and secure. This is another significant milestone in securing the UK’s future energy needs, made possible by foresighted partners such as SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn that have made the UK a leader in the transition to clean power.”
Measuring 75 meters long x 45 meters wide x 39 meters high, the platform utilises a four-legged steel jacket foundation structure designed and fabricated by Saipem in water depths of around 28 meters.
Gianalberto Secchi, COO of Saipem’s Offshore Wind Business Line, commented:
“We are proud to have contributed to the achievement of this important milestone for the groundbreaking Dogger Bank project, which reaffirms Saipem’s leadership in the offshore industry and our expertise in supporting Clients in the development of offshore wind farms as a key resource for the energy transition worldwide.”
1st February 2024 in Construction, Operations, Project news
North Star’s third hybrid-propulsion service operation vessel (SOV), the Grampian Tees, was named this week at an event held at the Port of Aberdeen, ahead of an early delivery to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
Jane Cunningham, PA to SSE’s Director of Capital Projects and the Dogger Bank Project Director, was named as the Godmother to the Grampian Tees; and Jessica Grant, the daughter of Mark Grant, Dogger Bank Head of Procurement and Commercial at SSE Renewables, was named as the Goddaughter of the Susan Auld daughter craft vessel. Together, they successfully performed the traditional good luck celebration by smashing a champagne bottle on the vessel after a blessing from one of the Aberdeen Seafarer’s Centre Port Chaplins.
The Grampian Tees reflects North Star’s Scottish heritage and the famous river in the North-East of England, where she will initially support the construction and commissioning of the wind farm from, before moving to support Operations, based out of the flagship O&M Base in the Port of Tyne. The daughter craft’s name honours Susan Auld (10th January 1915 – 9 March 2002), who was a pioneering naval architect from Tynemouth, North East England, and the first women to graduate as a naval architect from Durham University.
The Grampian Tees vessel belongs to the VARD 4 12 design and is one of four that will be used for at least ten years to support operations and maintenance at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which located more than 130km off the coast of Yorkshire in the North Sea. The vessel joins the Grampian Tyne and Grampian Derwent vessels, which were both delivered ahead of schedule to the wind farm in 2023.
The vessel design offers high-quality living quarters for technicians servicing the offshore wind turbines including a gym, along with a centralised logistics center capable of handling cargo and functioning as a warehouse for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is set to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm once complete.
In 2021, Dogger Bank Wind Farm awarded North Star Renewables with contracts to deliver four state-of-the-art SOVs to the project, creating 170 UK jobs based in crewing and shore-based roles.
1st November 2023 in Construction, Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
Boston Energy has secured a contract with Ge Vernova to provide mechanical and electrical expertise during the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The East Riding of Yorkshire-headquartered firm will undertake onshore commissioning and completion work at Able Seaton in Hartlepool, as well as offshore mechanical and electrical (M&E) completion and offshore commissioning.
The work will involve more than 190 UK based personnel at its peak, and represents Boston’s largest ever single award in offshore wind.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Commercial Director, Simon Bailey, said:
“It’s great to see another key contractor creating job opportunities to support the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Construction and commissioning of turbine technology is a critical element of our programme that will help us to steadily ramp up to full operating capacity of 3.6GW by 2026.”
Nathan Fahey, Project Director at GE Vernova, said:
“We have been working with Boston Energy since the contract award for offshore commissioning of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm and I’m really pleased to have them as a trusted partner as we move into the operational phase of the project.
“I trust the team will deliver the expected results, at the quality and execution standards we want to provide to our customer.
“We are very much looking forward to working with Boston Energy to help us deliver this fantastic project utilising our Haliade-X turbines. Delivering this project will significantly enhance the UK’s net zero ambitions and help make a substantial dent in CO2 emissions.”
Julian Cattermole, CEO of Boston Energy, said:
“We’re thrilled that GE Vernova have entrusted us to deliver the onshore and offshore commissioning of this truly exciting, and transformative project.
“GE has recognised that Boston Energy has a very strong track record of delivering exceptional quality on its projects as well as ensuring it delivers to budget and to the highest safety and environmental standards.
“We now need to get on and deliver to those same exacting standards that GE Vernova expects.”
To demonstrate its commitment to local content, Boston Energy has employed 80 per cent of its offshore team and 85 per cent of its onshore team from the North East of England, where pre construction activities are taking place.
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.
ENDS
