16th November 2021 in Construction, Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
The world’s largest offshore wind farm is once again benefiting from supply chain expertise in the north-east of England as it continues site preparation work for the installation of turbines in the North Sea.
Working in collaboration with Global Maritime, Newcastle-based Ryder Geotechnical, a Tekmar Group company, delivered a site-specific assessment in preparation for the installation of 190 turbines for the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The wind farm is being built in three phases; Dogger Bank A, B and C, and when complete will be able to generate around 5% of the UK’s electricity. The project will use the world’s first Ultra-Low emissions jack-up vessel to install turbines 130km out to sea, off the North East coast of England.
Turbines are installed by a jack-up vessel, a ship that extends legs down to the seabed and lifts itself up to provide a stable platform to perform installation from. Ryder’s role in this project was to assess the geological conditions above and below the seabed surface at both sites and provide geotechnical information ahead of the jack-up operations. The geotechnical information is used to advise on the seabed load bearing and other parameters needed for installation.
Steven Metcalfe, lead engineer on the project from Ryder said “We’re delighted to have this opportunity to work on the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The site was particularly complex geologically due to soft clay layers sandwiched between firmer sand layers, but working closely with Global Maritime we were able to fully assess these holistically, and develop solutions for the safest operations.”
Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). In November 2021 SSE Renewables and Equinor, 50:50 joint venture partners in Dogger Bank C, announced Eni will take a 20% stake in the final phase, with SSE Renewables and Equinor maintaining 40% stakes each, in a deal that is expected to complete in Q1 2022 (subject to Dogger Bank C Financial Close and regulatory approvals).
SSE Renewables is leading on the construction of the wind farm and Equinor will operate the wind farm for its expected lifetime of 35 years.
Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor said: “This site-specific assessment carried out by Ryder Geotechnical is essential for us to confirm the turbine fixing requirements ahead of construction and to understand any geotechnical risk to jack-up operations, ensuring safe installation offshore. It’s another great example of UK expertise helping us to deliver the wind farm safely and efficiently as we prepare for offshore installation to commence in 2022.”
12th November 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
Dogger Bank Wind Farm has signed a contract with Sif-Smulders consortium for all 87 monopiles and transition pieces for the third phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
Sif and Smulders were awarded contracts to provide the wind turbine foundations for the first two phases of Dogger Bank in November 2020, and have since awarded subcontracts to South Tyneside-based Metec and Rochdale-based Granada to work on this world-leading project.
The foundation fabrication and supply contract for Dogger Bank C is subject to financial close on Dogger Bank C which is expected in late 2021.
In the project-specific Sif-Smulders consortium, Sif is responsible for fabrication and supply of monopiles and primary steel for the transition pieces, and for the marshalling of all foundation components at its Maasvlakte 2 Rotterdam terminal. Smulders will manufacture secondary steel and assemble, coat and test fully equipped transition pieces.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, Steve Wilson, said:
“We’re delighted to expand our ongoing work with Sif and Smulders on the first two phases of the windfarm with this contract for DBC. The consortium will supply monopiles and transition pieces that are among the largest to be installed on any offshore wind farm and which continue to push the boundaries of foundation design.”
Fred van Beers, CEO of Sif Holding said:
“We are honoured by the confidence in our company that the developers of Dogger Bank Wind Farm express in their award of part C of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm to Sif, extending our order book to well into 2024 and allowing us time to prepare for expected demand for larger foundations for the period 2025 and beyond. We are a proud partner to Equinor/SSE/ENI for the landmark Dogger Bank Wind Farm project”.
Raf Lemants, Managing Director of Smulders:
“Smulders looks forward to continuing our partnership with SSE/Equinor for Dogger Bank C together with Sif. We are proud that we can share our knowledge and expertise and deliver the transition pieces for all three phases of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being developed in three phases – Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C – located more than 130km from the Yorkshire coast and the world’s largest offshore wind farm when complete.
Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). In November 2021 SSE Renewables and Equinor, 50:50 joint venture partners in Dogger Bank C, announced Eni will take a 20% stake in the final phase, with SSE Renewables and Equinor maintaining 40% stakes each. The deal is expected to complete in Q1 2022, subject to Dogger Bank C Financial Close and regulatory approvals.
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12th November 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain, Uncategorised
Dogger Bank Wind Farm has awarded the contract for the transport and installation of monopile foundations and transition pieces on the third phase of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm to Seaway 7 ASA.
The contract award is subject to Dogger Bank C reaching Financial Close by the end of 2021.
The 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is to be built more than 130km off the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea, is currently being developed in three 1.2GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C.
Seaway 7 ASA has already been appointed the foundation installation contract for both Dogger Bank A and B. Under this latest contract, Seaway 7 ASA will utilise its specialist Heavy Lift Vessel Alfa Lift, which is set to be the world’s largest and most efficient custom-built offshore wind foundation vessel. Installation by the company of offshore foundations on the 1.2GW Dogger Bank C of will commence in 2024 following the foundation installation of the Dogger Bank A and B phases.
Stuart Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer of Seaway 7, said:
“We are pleased to now have been awarded the work to install foundations on all three phases of the world’s largest offshore wind farm. We look forward to executing the work with quality and safety at the forefront and to working closely with our customer to deliver on the project objectives.”
Steve Wilson, Project Director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:
“It’s great to be able to confirm that Seaway 7 has been awarded this contract. The Alfa Lift is one of the most innovative heavy transportation and installation vessels on the market and we are very pleased to have them working with us across all three phases as we deliver this ground-breaking project.”
Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). In November 2021 SSE Renewables and Equinor, 50:50 joint venture partners in Dogger Bank C, announced Eni will take a 20% stake in the final phase, with SSE Renewables and Equinor maintaining 40% stakes each. The deal is expected to complete in Q1 2022, subject to Dogger Bank C Financial Close and regulatory approvals.
SSE Renewables is leading on the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion.
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2nd November 2021 in Press releases, Project news
- Eni to take 20% stake in the third phase of world’s largest offshore wind farm.
- Combined value of equity consideration is GBP £140m or GBP £70m to both SSE Renewables and Equinor for each 10% stake.
- SSE Renewables and Equinor each to maintain 40% stakes in Dogger Bank C.
- SSE Renewables to continue to lead construction of the project.
- Equinor retains responsibility as lead operator for wind farm’s operational life.
SSE Renewables and Equinor have today confirmed that Eni, already a partner on the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, will also join as a partner in the third phase of the world-leading offshore wind farm project.
Located over 130km off the north-east coast of England, Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built in three 1.2GW phases and will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world when operational, with an overall capacity of 3.6GW.
The 1.2GW third phase of Dogger Bank won a CfD in the 2019 auction and is currently jointly owned 50/50 by SSE Renewables and Equinor. Dogger Bank C is being developed on a different timescale to the first two phases, Dogger Bank A and B, which are being constructed at the same time.
Today’s transaction will see SSE Renewables and Equinor each selling a 10% stake in Dogger Bank C to Eni, resulting in Eni taking a 20% equity stake in the third phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The combined value of the equity consideration is GBP £140m, or GBP £70m to both SSE Renewables and Equinor for each 10% stake. Both SSE Renewables and Equinor will each maintain 40% stakes in Dogger Bank C upon completion.
The transaction is expected to complete in Q1 2022 subject to Dogger Bank C reaching Financial Close, on track by the end of 2021, and to regulatory approvals and customary purchase price adjustments.
Today’s stake sale announcement to Eni follows a similar announcement last year that SSE Renewables and Equinor had sold a 20% stake in Dogger Bank A and B of to Eni (10% each by SSE Renewables and Equinor) in a deal that completed in February 2021. Upon completion of the Dogger Bank C transaction being announced today, the new overall shareholding in the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%).
Extended partner alignment across all three phases of the project will enable further synergies across both the construction and operations phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
SSE Renewables will continue to lead the development and construction of the overall wind farm, with Equinor retaining responsibility for operation for the wind farm’s life of around 35 years.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, Steve Wilson, said:
“We are delighted to now have Eni on board as an industrial partner for all three phases of the project. This further strengthens the partnership between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni to deliver the world’s largest offshore wind farm. We are on track to reach financial close on Dogger Bank C by the end of the calendar year and progressing to programme with the onshore civil works on Teesside.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be constructed over 130km out to sea off the north-east coast of England, where wind speeds are higher and more consistent than near to the shore. The ground-breaking project is breaking world records and pioneering new technology in its delivery. It will be the first project to use the largest commercially available turbine operating in the world today, the 14MW GE Haliade-X and due to its distance from shore, the first UK High Voltage Direct Current connected wind farm.
Onshore construction began in 2020 and is currently underway for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B, with offshore construction on Dogger Bank A due to begin in Q2 2022. First power is expected in Summer 2023 and Summer 2024 for Dogger Bank A and B, respectively, with commercial operations to follow around 6 months later. Turbine installation for Dogger Bank C will begin in 2025.
Almost 3000 new UK jobs have been announced so far that will be supported by the construction and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. These include up to 750 direct and around 1,500 indirect jobs associated with the set-up of a new world-class blade manufacturing facility on Teesside by LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy business, with production due to start in 2023.
Once the three phases are complete, which is expected by March 2026, Dogger Bank will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world. Each phase of Dogger Bank will be able to produce 6TWh of renewable electricity, totalling 18TWh annually across all three phases – that’s enough renewable electricity to supply 5% of the UK’s demand and equivalent to powering six million UK homes.
Read the SSE Renewables press release here.
Read the Equinor press release here.
Read the Eni press release here.
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For further information:
Media contact – Dogger Bank Wind Farm:
Jason Cooke, SSE Renewables
jason.cooke@sse.com
+353 (0) 86 264 6710
6th October 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Uncategorised
- Names will adorn the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea off the Yorkshire coast as legacy of COP26.
- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and COP26 President Alok Sharma among the first to sign up.
- Signatures represent a show of support for world leaders to commit to more ambitious climate action at COP.
SSE, one of the UK’s largest low-carbon power firms and a Principal Partner of COP26, is inviting those who want to see an ambitious climate action agreed at COP26 to show their support by putting their names on the world’s largest offshore wind farm – with UK Prime Minister and COP26 President Alok Sharma among the first to sign up.
The switch to clean energy is vital if the world is to heed the IPCC’s recent ‘code red for humanity’, and, as the biggest single source of offshore power in the world, Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a symbol of the change needed globally.
SSE, with its joint venture partners Equinor and Eni, is offering world leaders and the general public alike a unique opportunity to be part of history with their names on Dogger Bank’s powerful turbines as a poignant symbol of the need for more urgent action and as a legacy of COP26.
The giant wind farm demonstrates how clear Government policy and private sector investment can drive the transition from carbon-intensive to clean power. Just one turn of a Dogger Bank turbine, three times bigger than the London Eye, will be enough to power a British home for two days.
With just 25 days to COP26, the UK public are being encouraged to throw their weight behind the need for ambitious global climate action to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.
The Prime Minister and COP26 President have today signed up to having their names added to the wind farm and will be encouraging world leaders to join them at COP26.
COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma said:
“The impacts of climate change can be seen around the world and COP26 is the last best hope for the world to come together and take action to protect the future of our planet.
“Dogger Bank has been developed by a UK business with international partners, manufactured on Teesside and employing thousands of UK workers, with its 3.6GW of wind energy set to power six million homes. Adding your name to this symbolic project ahead of COP26 is a great way to show support and leave a legacy.”
Across the country, people have already been doing their bit to drive change, from small individual actions to big businesses investing in infrastructure and technology to drive a cleaner, greener future.
SSE is investing £7.5bn in low-carbon projects to support the UK’s decarbonisation plans and is a proud partner to COP26.
Alistair Phillips-Davies, SSE Chief Executive, said:
“Tackling the climate emergency requires everyone to play their part – from world leaders to governments to big businesses to communities to individuals. What we are building at Dogger Bank is representative of what can be done when government, business and the public pull together to power change.
“We want to send a clear signal ahead of COP26 that the writing is on the wall for climate change – literally in this sense – and by lending their name to Dogger Bank, anyone who cares about climate action can make their voice heard and create a lasting legacy.
“When we look back in decades to come, we want to say this was the moment the wind changed, with the demand from the public for an ambitious COP26 agreement helping avert the worst of global warming.”
Climate leaders from across the globe will be invited to add their name and lend their support for greater climate action by signing the turbine at COP26 itself in Glasgow.
Join the clamour for climate action and add your name to the world’s largest offshore wind farm now. The wind farm is currently under construction off the Yorkshire Coast with first power due in summer 2023. SSE Renewables is leading the development and construction phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm and Equinor will lead on operations for its lifetime of up to 35 years.
GE Renewable Energy secured contracts to provide its Haliade-X turbines for all three phases of the wind farm and is building a brand new, state-of-the-art factory in the north east, made possible by the major Dogger Bank contracts, creating hundreds of green jobs.
Project Director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Steve Wilson, said:
“The north and north east of England are at the heart of building a low-carbon future and you can make your mark on history, alongside the Prime Minister and COP 26 President, by adding your name to this record-beating project.
“We’re delighted to offer this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a fitting legacy of a pivotal moment in time, where we make the switch to a more sustainable world for future generations.”
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Picture caption: SSE, with its joint venture partners Equinor and Eni, is offering world leaders and the general public a unique opportunity to be part of history with their names on Dogger Bank’s powerful turbines as a poignant symbol of the need for more urgent action and as a legacy of COP26. Picture source: GE Renewable Energy.
