Latest news : Project news

Dogger Bank Wind Farm unveils design for Operations and Maintenance Base at the Port of Tyne

25th March 2021 in Press releases, Project news

The developers of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm have revealed the design for the multi-million pound Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Base, that will serve the world’s biggest offshore wind farm.

Subject to planning approval, the base will be constructed in the Port of Tyne. It will serve as the main hub for operating the wind farm which when complete will be capable of powering 6 million homes.

SSE Renewables is leading on construction of the wind farm and Equinor will operate the wind farm for its lifetime of up to 35 years, creating over 200 direct jobs in the North East of England.

Some roles will be based onshore, such as planners, engineers and management, whilst other roles such as wind turbine technicians will be based offshore at the wind farm itself, living for two weeks at a time on a vessel over 130km out to sea. The main recruitment activity is expected from 2022.

Working with international design practice Ryder Architecture, headquartered in Newcastle, Equinor has designed the O&M Base to be built using environmentally friendly materials. EV chargers, solar panels and efficient heating systems have been included to ensure the facility has a low carbon impact.

As well as offices for those based onshore and a warehouse to store spare parts for the wind farm, the design includes development of a new quay suitable for the state-of-the-art Service Operations Vessels (SOVs) that provide accommodation, and transport for technicians to and from the wind farm. The vessels will come to the port approximately twice a month for resupply and crew change.

Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor, said: “Dogger Bank is set to have a huge impact in the North East of England. On top of the hundreds of direct jobs the project creates, opportunities from the project will reach many others in the region from industry suppliers to catering companies.

“Over the last month investment for a new manufacturing facility in Teesside has been announced, set to provide the 107m turbine blades to Dogger Bank, and the contract for our three operations vessels has been awarded to a Scottish company, creating further jobs in Scotland and the North East.

“We specifically chose a local firm, Ryder, to work closely with in designing this flagship facility, and have ensured it is both environmentally sustainable and future-fit in order to attract the best local talents to join our team. We share the final designs with pride, and can’t wait to get started!” 

Francesca Harrison, project architect at Ryder, said: “The design proposals reflect Dogger Bank’s drive for a more sustainable future.  They have been designed to achieve net zero carbon and provide one of the best workspaces in the north east helping Dogger Bank to attract the best talent.”

Steve Wilson, Project Director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said: “This locally-designed and sustainable Operation & Maintenance Base will become the heart of Dogger Bank operations, in a region that will also reap the economic benefits of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in its construction phase. It’s another important milestone for our project, but also for a region that is becoming a powerhouse for innovation and decarbonisation.”

Matt Beeton, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Tyne, said: “The site is well underway at the Port of Tyne with ground and quayside improvements taking place. The Port and the region are excited to see the start of Equinor’s new facility which will not only provide much needed jobs but also start our journey to supporting the biggest offshore wind farm in the world.”

The plans for the O&M facility have been submitted to South Tyneside Council for a planning application. The construction contractor will be appointed in the coming months.

Dogger Bank is being built in three equal phases of 1.2 gigawatts (GW) each. The first two phases, Dogger Bank A and B, are a joint venture between Equinor (40%) SSE Renewables (40%) and Eni (20%). The third phase, Dogger Bank C, is being developed on a different timescale and is owned by Equinor (50%) and SSE Renewables (50%).

 

Aberdeen’s North Star Renewables to design and deliver service vessel fleet for Dogger Bank Wind Farm

17th March 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain

  • North Star secures £270m contract for three state-of-the-art service vessels from world’s largest offshore wind farm.
  • Contract win will create 130 new full-time UK-based jobs in crewing and shore-based roles.
  • Transformational contract positions Scottish firm as a major player in offshore wind.   

Leading Aberdeen company North Star Renewables has been awarded contracts worth an estimated £270 million to deliver three state-of-the-art service operation vessels (SOVs) to be used on what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea.

North Star’s contract award follows a highly-competitive tender process. The Scottish firm beat off strong international competition to secure the deal to design and deliver the three-vessel service operation fleet for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is currently being built in the North Sea by joint venture partners SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni.

North Star will  deliver the SOVs to Dogger Bank Wind Farm operator Equinor from Summer 2023 and will be chartered to Dogger Bank by North Star for a ten-year period, with an option for three one-year extensions.

North Star will create 130 new full-time UK-based jobs in crewing and shore-based roles for the lifetime of the contract. Recruitment for the roles will start 12 months ahead of vessel delivery to Dogger Bank’s planned operations base in Port of Tyne. The new positions will be based across Scotland and the North East of England and will grow North Star’s existing 1,400 strong workforce, 950 of which are in the UK and 350 of which are in Scotland.

Welcoming the news of the contract award, Scottish Government Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This is excellent news for the Aberdeen based North Star Renewables who are relatively new to the offshore wind sector but have a wealth of experience operating in the North Sea’s oil and gas sector.

“This contract is a welcome example of our domestic supply chain benefitting from the operation and maintenance of an offshore wind project off our coastline, bringing jobs and employment opportunities to communities in Scotland.”

The contract award is a renewables-first for North Star and represents a transformational step forward for the Scottish company in its energy transition ambitions to become a major player in the global offshore wind sector.

North Star chief executive, Matthew Gordon, said: “We are pleased and proud to establish a new relationship with Equinor and are looking forward to working collaboratively with them and their partners, SSE Renewables and Eni. We have been working with our existing energy clients in the North Sea for over 40 years, with an outstanding reputation for delivering and operating offshore emergency support vessels safely. We are now committed to building on the momentum of this contract award to further our diversification and firmly establish ourselves at the forefront of vessel design and delivery in the global renewables market.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be located more than 130 km off the Yorkshire coast and will generate enough renewable energy to power six million UK homes. A joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni, Scotland-headquartered SSE Renewables is leading on Dogger Bank construction and delivery while Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion. As wind farm operator Equinor will begin taking delivery of the three SOVs from North Star at its Port of Tyne operations base from 2023, ahead of commissioning of the first phase of the giant offshore wind farm.

The contract award by Dogger Bank Wind Farm to North Star delivers once again on a commitment by partners Equinor, SSE Renewables and Eni to support the development of a UK supply chain, creating substantial local jobs and maximising UK supply chain opportunities.

Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor welcomed the news and said: “We are pleased that a UK supplier wins these contracts in a tough international competition. The awards will create a good basis for North Star to expand their services to support the UK’s growing offshore wind sector. Dogger Bank is at the forefront of innovation, and we want to attract the best talents to come work on this ground-breaking project.

“The high-end SOVs will ensure our teams have a comfortable stay offshore, which is important before a day’s work on the turbines. We have incorporated leading technology to ensure we can operate the wind farm safely, sustainably and efficiently.”

Steve Wilson, SSE Renewables Project Director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Project Director said: “The jobs that these contracts bring to Scotland, the North East and the UK are a welcome boost and all part of the role Dogger Bank is playing in the UK’s green recovery.

“It’s an important milestone for the project and when delivered, these state-of-the-art hybrid vessels will have a critical future role in ensuring the safe and efficient maintenance of the development when it reaches the operational phase.”

Wind farm engineers and technicians will spend two weeks on board each of the high-tech vessels while working on the offshore wind farm. The SOVs will incorporate logistics platforms to allow wind farm personnel work on the wind farm during the day, ensuring optimum wind turbine availability, and will feature safe, hotel-grade comfort in the living quarters for operational personnel at all other times.

North Star’s designs, which have been two-years in the making with its key strategic technology partners, are at the leading-edge of operability and sustainability to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Innovations include low fuel consumption, digital decision support technology, advanced propulsion systems, hybrid power management, a waste heat recovery system, and a new daughter-craft design.

In support of the contract, North Star will establish a new permanent presence at Port of Tyne, delivering a local economic and supply chain boost to the coastal region. This new base for North Star will build upon its existing UK operational bases in Aberdeen and Lowestoft.

The 3.6GW Dogger Bank will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world when complete in 2026 and is being built in three equal phases of 1.2 GW; Dogger Bank A, B and C.

North Star will deliver one SOV to be used for scheduled maintenance at Dogger Bank A and B. The vessel is due to be delivered in January 2024 and will also serve Dogger Bank C when this phase of the wind farm is operational.

A further two SOVs will be delivered by North Star to be used for corrective maintenance, at Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B. Delivery of these vessels is scheduled for July 2023 and July 2024 respectively. A further contract for an SOV to be used for corrective maintenance at Dogger Bank C will be awarded at a later stage.

Ends

Editor’s notes

Photo caption: North Star Renewables’ SOVs will bring market leading technology to the offshore wind market and to the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm being built in the North Sea by joint venture partners SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of North Star Renewables.

Animation credit: Animation courtesy of North Star Renewables.

Media assets including animation can be downloaded here

About North Star

North Star Renewables is part of North Star Group, which also comprises North Star Shipping and Boston Putford. The Aberdeen-headquartered business is the largest offshore emergency support vessel operator in the North Sea, employs 1,400 personnel, and has been supporting the oil and gas sector for the past four decades. It’s offshore support vessel fleet boasts 44 vessels and provides continuous infrastructure support services across more than 50 North Sea installations. By combining safety, service and quality, the company delivers exceptional levels of support to its clients in one of world’s most challenging and demanding industries.

GE Renewable Energy plans new blade manufacturing plant on Teesside for Dogger Bank wind turbines

10th March 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain

GE Haliade X turbine

Blade factory is expected to create up to 750 direct and up to 1,500 indirect jobs in the region.

  • Following significant order from Dogger Bank Wind Farm, LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy Business, plans to open a brand-new manufacturing plant in the North East of England dedicated to the production of turbine blades for GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X
  • The plant at Teesworks will produce sets of 107m blades for GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine
  • The Haliade-X turbines will be installed on Dogger Bank Wind Farm, more than 130km from the Yorkshire coast
  • Blades produced in Teesside will be installed at Dogger Bank from 2024 onwards
  • Today’s announcement brings the total number of jobs supported by the construction and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the UK region to more than 2,500

10 March 2021: GE Renewable Energy has today unveiled plans to open a new world-class blade manufacturing facility on Teesside in the North East of England to support the growing offshore wind market in the UK and Europe and to produce blades for its Haliade-X turbine that will power Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

The significant order of Haliade-X offshore wind turbines from Dogger Bank Wind Farm was a decisive factor in GE Renewable Energy’s decision to green light the new manufacturing plant, delivering a long-term renewable energy jobs boost to the region. The UK Government has also provided support to GE Renewable Energy to set up this new plant near Teesside as part of a greater effort to develop an industry and supply chain for the development of offshore wind in the country. This follows the designation of Teesside as one of the UK’s newest freeports.

Commenting on the investments it made for the new port of Teesside, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Teesside will continue to drive forward our green industrial revolution as we capitalise on new opportunities to produce clean energy through a brand new offshore wind port on the River Tees. It will not only create thousands of jobs and harness the skills and expertise of this great industrial heartland, but also boost investment into the area as we build back greener.”

LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy business, will set up and operate the state-of-the-art new facility at Teesworks, an ideal location to serve the vast offshore wind potential of the North Sea. It is anticipated the factory, which will start producing the 107-metre blades in 2023, will create up to 750 direct jobs, and around 1,500 indirect jobs, in the region. This brings the total number of new jobs supported by the construction and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North East of England to more than 2,500 so far.

A substantial number of Haliade-X blades for Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be among the first orders to be delivered from the new manufacturing plant. Blades produced at Teesworks will be installed from 2024 onwards with the final number of blades from the plant destined for Dogger Bank to be confirmed in due course.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, Steve Wilson, said: “We’re incredibly proud to say Dogger Bank Wind Farm is the anchor project for the blade facility announcement by GE today. Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a world-leading development pushing the boundaries of offshore wind development and playing a key role in delivering the ambition to increase UK supply chain capacity and capability. Through our turbine supply order with GE, the Dogger Bank project is the catalyst for this important GE investment in Teesside, harnessing skills and expertise in the local area and delivering long-term benefits in the UK’s offshore wind sector.”

Jerôme Pécresse, President and CEO of GE Renewable Energy said: “This new plant will contribute to the development of an industrial cluster dedicated to offshore wind in the North East of England. GE is delighted to be announcing a commitment to develop a new talent pool dedicated to renewable energy through the hiring and training of future employees at our new plant. The UK’s target to commission 40 GW of offshore wind by 2030 is ambitious and requires that we invest in local production capabilities to accompany this effort.”

Confirmation that part of the turbine blades for Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be manufactured in the UK delivers on a key commitment by the wind farm’s joint developers SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni to support the development of a UK supply chain, creating substantial local jobs and maximising UK supply chain opportunities.

Alistair Philips-Davies, SSE Chief Executive, said: “As a UK-headquartered business we’re passionate about creating highly skilled and well-paid jobs here in Britain and using our purchasing power to support the indigenous supply chain. We’re delighted to play our part with Dogger Bank anchoring this multimillion-pound investment in Teesside by GE and creating hundreds of long-term green jobs in the north east.  The UK is leading the world in offshore wind and the creation of this world-class manufacturing facility here on our shores will help drive this industry forward in the decade to come.”

 Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor, said: “A project the size of Dogger Bank creates economic ripple effects, and with its operational base in the North East we are so pleased that our ground-breaking project has enabled this new blade manufacturing facility in Teesside to grow the UK offshore wind supply industry. Securing significant contracts with Dogger Bank enables suppliers to invest in the UK, creating jobs and supporting the industry’s ambition to increase local content. The global economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, but investment in offshore wind remains at a record high. Dogger Bank will not only generate renewable electricity for millions of homes across the UK, it also brings inward investment, and hundreds of highly skilled jobs.”

Alessandro Della Zoppa, Director Energy Solutions of Eni, said: “By participating in the Dogger Bank project, Eni is proud to contribute to the development of the UK offshore wind industry and world-class supply chain. For Eni, cooperating with the industry’s leading players for the deployment of highly innovative technologies is a great opportunity to progress in its transformation path towards green energy.”

GE’s Haliade-X is the most powerful offshore wind turbine in operation today. The Haliade-X 13MW turbine was confirmed for the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in September 2020, with a record-breaking order for 190 of the innovative machines. GE Renewable Energy is preferred supplier for the third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, where it will install its uprated Haliade-X 14MW. The agreement for Dogger Bank C will be finalised in the first quarter of 2021, confirming the order and number of turbines for the project’s third phase, and will be subject to Dogger Bank C reaching Financial Close in late 2021.

The three phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm will have a combined installed generation capacity of 3.6GW, enough to power six million UK homes. When complete in 2026, it will be the world’s biggest offshore wind farm.

The 2.4GW Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). The A and B phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm reached financial close in November 2020 at competitive terms underlining the attractiveness of the UK offshore wind assets and the confidence in the joint venture. The 1.2GW third phase of the wind farm, Dogger Bank C, is a 50:50 joint venture between Equinor and SSE Renewables and is being developed under a different timeline.

SSE Renewables is leading on the construction and delivery of all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will operate Dogger Bank Wind Farm on completion.

The electricity generated by the turbines at Dogger Bank, which are between 130km and over 200km from shore, will be transmitted onshore via subsea cables. Due to the distance of each of the Dogger Bank phases offshore, it will be the first wind farm in the UK to utilise an HVDC connection. The use of an HVDC connection will ensure the renewable energy being transmitted over the long distances from the Dogger Bank offshore to the onshore grid connections in England’s East Riding and Teesside will be achieved efficiently while minimising losses.

Ends

Picture caption: Following a significant order from Dogger Bank Wind Farm, LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy Business, plans to open a brand-new manufacturing plant in Teesside dedicated to the production of turbine blades for GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbines which will be installed at Dogger Bank. The plan will create up to 750 direct jobs, and around 1,500 indirect jobs, in the region. Today’s announcement brings the total number of jobs supported by the construction and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the UK region to more than 2,500. Picture source: GE Renewable Energy.

For further information:

Media contact – Dogger Bank Wind Farm:

Jason Cooke, SSE Renewables

Jason.cooke@sse.com

+353 (0) 86 264 6710

 

Media contact – Dogger Bank Wind Farm:

Rachel Lawrence, SSE Renewables

rachel.lawrence@sse.com

+44 (0) 7385 368783

 

Media contact – GE Renewable Energy:

Sebastien Duchamp

sebastien.duchamp@ge.com

+33 6 73 19 59 64

 

Hitachi ABB Power Grids and AIBEL confirmed for third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm

17th February 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain

  • Hitachi ABB Power Grids to install HVDC Light® technology to connect the transmission link on all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, making it the UK’s first HVDC-connected windfarm.
  • Aibel to provide the offshore platforms for Dogger Bank A, B and C.

17 February 2021: Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Aibel and Hitachi ABB Power Grids are today announcing contracts to provide the offshore platform and associated transmission link for the third phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

The two suppliers, which were previously appointed as tier one suppliers for the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, are now confirmed for all three phases of the development, Dogger Bank A, B and C.

Both contracts are subject to financial close on Dogger Bank C, which is currently forecast for Q4 this year.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm has been developed as a joint venture between SSE Renewables and Equinor (50:50), and ENI will take a 20% stake in the first two phases, subject to regulatory and lender approvals of Eni’s agreement to enter the joint venture which are due during Q1 2021.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, Steve Wilson, said: “Confirmation of our collaboration with Hitachi ABB Power Grids and Aibel on all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm is another important milestone for our world-leading development. Working together in an integrated way will enable us to achieve optimum efficiency during the design, procurement and construction work, while the use of market-leading HVDC technology will ensure efficient and reliable transmission of renewable energy for 6 million UK households once all of the windfarm phases become operational.”

The electricity generated by the turbines at Dogger Bank, which are between 130km and over 200km from shore, will be transmitted onshore via subsea cables. Due to the distance of each of the Dogger Bank phases offshore, it will be the first HVDC connected wind farm in the UK. An HVDC connection will ensure the renewable energy being transmitted over the long distances from the Dogger Bank offshore to the onshore grid connections in East Riding and Teesside, will be achieved efficiently while minimising losses.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids will install its compact high-voltage direct-current technology, called HVDC Light®, for efficient transmission to the project’s onshore grid connections in the East Riding of Yorkshire for Dogger Bank A and B, and on Teesside for Dogger Bank C.

Aibel will work alongside Hitachi ABB Power Grids to provide the offshore converter platforms located in the North Sea.

“Together, with customers and partners, we are playing a key role in accelerating the energy transition,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ Grid Integration business. “HVDC technology contributes significantly towards a carbon-neutral energy future by enabling the integration of large-scale and remote renewable energy generation,” he added. “Being selected once again underlines our customers’ trust in our world-leading expertise and delivery capabilities.”

 “Alongside our partner Hitachi ABB Power Grids, our skilled engineers have developed integrated solutions and established an efficient supply chain for our deliveries. We are proud to see that our concept wins in a very competitive environment,” says Executive Vice President for Field development and Offshore wind in Aibel, Nils Arne Hatleskog.

Ends

Picture caption: An artist impression of an offshore wind farm with an Aibel convertor platform Picture source: Aibel

 For further information:

Media contact – Dogger Bank Wind Farm: Rachel Lawrence, SSE Renewables rachel.lawrence@sse.com

+44 (0) 7385 368783

Rebecca Bleasdale, Hitachi ABB Power Grids Ltd.

Head of External Communications, Content & Media Relations

+41786432613

Rebecca.Bleasdale@hitachi-powergrids.com

Mona Winge, Aibel AS

Corporate Communication Manager

Direct: +47 85 27 41 02, Mobile: +47 98 67 55 11

mona.winge@aibel.com

A tail of the world’s largest offshore wind farm

15th February 2021 in Press releases, Project news

While technology is the answer to most of life’s challenges these days, the world’s largest offshore wind farm has been discovering there are times when only a four-legged friend will do.

The team at Dogger Bank Wind Farm has been going mutts for five-year-old Lola the Sprocker Spaniel, who’s been helping the project sniff out water voles on the 30km cable route in East Riding of Yorkshire.

Water voles are a protected species, commonly found living in watercourses and drainage ditches, and are similar-looking to the brown rat but with a blunt nose, small ears and a furry tail.

“As a responsible developer we use a range of techniques to identify wildlife along our construction routes, so we can take measures to protect them from harm,” explained Consents Team Manager Jonathan Wilson.

“This is the first time we’ve used specially-trained ecology dogs on our sites and Lola was certainly very popular with our on-site team. She positively identified three areas where water voles were present, especially in the hard-to-reach areas and with minimal disturbance to the surrounding habitat.

“Now we’ve found them, our water vole specialist is able to ensure the voles are kept safe during our construction activities following strict guidance under a licence issued by Natural England.

“After the work has finished and we’ve moved on, we would normally expect the water voles to continue life as before.”

 Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

Detection dogs have been widely used for a number of years to find substances, with their acute sense of smell. But their use in detecting water voles is something that’s only been developed in the last seven years, and was pioneered by Ecologist Dog Handler, Ali Charnick.

“I’ve been training and working with water vole detection dogs for the last seven years and I have to say Lola particularly enjoys this work. She can cover large areas really quickly and efficiently,” explained Ali, from Ecology Dogs, the world’s only provider of this service.

“She’s an active Spaniel and loves to work, has an incredibly good nose and finds the work fun and easy. Her tail doesn’t stop wagging when she’s working and of course she gets a lot of welcome attention from the teams we work with.

“Lola and I have worked on other sites and in similar habitats in Yorkshire, but we’ve never worked on the world’s largest offshore wind farm so that’s very exciting for us and very nice.

“I’m a self-confessed renewable energy nerd too so I was very excited when I got asked to work on it. From a personal point of view it’s been a real privilege.”

Using the most powerful turbines in operation and generating renewable energy for 6 million UK households, Dogger Bank Wind Farm is far from an underdog. In fact these world-leading turbines have blades as long as nine and a half buses back-to-back, and can generate enough renewable electricity to power a UK home for over two days, with just one spin. Find out more about our record-breaking turbine order here.