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 Operations, Project news, Supply Chain
The second of North Star’s new offshore wind fleet, the Grampian Derwent, has been delivered ahead of schedule to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The vessel was named at a ceremony at the Dogger Bank Operations and Maintenance Base at the Port of Tyne in the South Shields, England, where Sophie Banham and Emma Simpson, successfully performed the good luck ritual of smashing a champagne bottle against the ship’s hull during the traditional celebration.
Sophie Banham, who was first involved in the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in 2008, has been chosen as the ship’s godmother. Emma Simpson, daughter of Euan Simpson, Dogger Bank Marine Supervisor, has been named the goddaughter of the Alison Kay daughter craft vessel, which will be permanently stationed on the Grampian Derwent.
The name of the daughter craft honours Alison Kay, who established The People’s Kitchen in Newcastle upon Tyne as a means of providing food and hope to individuals who are homeless and sleeping on the streets of the city.
The 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, located 130km off the coast of Yorkshire in the North Sea. The vessel joins the Grampian Tyne vessel, which was delivered to the wind farm in June 2023.
The design provides high-quality accommodation to offshore wind turbine technicians, as well as a centralised logistics hub configured to handle cargo and act as a functioning warehouse offshore for Dogger Bank, which will become the largest offshore wind farm upon completion.
13th October 2023 in Operations, Project news, Supply Chain
Certex UK’s Great Yarmouth based Engineering Services Division has won a major framework to supply statutory inspection and maintenance services on Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The contract covers inspection and maintenance of cranes, personnel lifts, general lifting, and safety equipment across all the wind turbines and balance of plant.
Terry Hoenes, Renewables Divisional Manager, Certex UK said: “We have a long-established history working with Equinor on the Greater Wash windfarms off East Anglia and are delighted to have been awarded the 5-year framework. Our hard work over the years providing a strong service and the work put in to produce a competitive tender have paid off and we look forward to starting work on the GE platform wind turbine, the first of its kind in the UK”.
Certex UK Engineering Services Division is part of the Lifting Solutions Group of 22 companies with over 100 locations worldwide, with the renewable energy sector largely being served to date from the UK, Taiwan, and Denmark. However, a newly launched global renewables division incorporates additional companies in Germany, Spain, France, China, and the United States, which has recently pivoted towards wind energy.
Ian Shaw, Engineering Services Divisional Manager, said:
“This is another great step forward for our Engineering Services Division, and working closely with Equinor, gives us the opportunity to introduce more new starters to the industry through our mentorship and training programmes. Equinor has always been an excellent ambassador for development of new starters which helps us to grow a sustainable skilled workforce.” Shaw added “The wider renewables industry growth is continually accelerating, and we need to ensure the supply chain and pool of skilled workers are available, to play our part in this we have developed a route to career programme covering the entry level GWO safety training at our newly accredited facility in Doncaster and the technical inspection training at our site in Great Yarmouth. We have also recently started working with ex forces resettlement agencies and look forward to introducing many more new people to a career in wind”.
10th October 2023 in Construction, Press releases, Project news
- UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hails Dogger Bank’s role in bolstering energy security, creating jobs, lowering costs, and achieving Net Zero.
- First power achieved at UK’s Dogger Bank as the first of 277 turbines installed 130km from UK coast.
- Dogger Bank is now connected via HVDC technology to Britain’s national grid and providing renewable power to homes and businesses.
- Each rotation of the first turbine’s 107m long Haliade-X blades can produce enough clean energy to power an average home for two days.
- When complete Dogger Bank will deliver clean energy to six million homes annually.*
The world’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, Dogger Bank, has started producing electricity for the first time for British homes and businesses, marking a major milestone in the development of the offshore wind industry and the transition to a cleaner, more secure energy system.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hailed this landmark moment, saying Dogger Bank will bolster energy security, create jobs, lower electricity bills and keep us on track for Net Zero.
The 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being constructed in UK waters 70 nautical miles (130km) off the coast of Yorkshire and in three 1.2GW phases known as Dogger Bank A, B and C. Power from the project’s first offshore wind turbine at Dogger Bank A is now being transmitted to the UK’s national grid via Dogger Bank’s high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system, marking the first-time use of HVDC technology on a UK wind farm.
First power followed the installation of the first of GE Vernova’s ground-breaking Haliade-X 13MW turbines, one of the largest and most powerful globally, at the Dogger Bank site. This is the first time Haliade-X units have been energised offshore anywhere in the world.
Each rotation of the 107m long blades on Dogger Bank’s first operational turbine can produce enough clean energy to power an average British home for two days.
When fully complete, Dogger Bank’s world-record-beating 3.6GW capacity will comprise 277 giant offshore turbines capable of producing enough clean energy to power the equivalent of six million homes annually and deliver yearly CO2 savings equivalent to removing 1.5 million cars from the road*.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“Offshore wind is critical to generating renewable, efficient energy that can power British homes from British seas.
“I’m proud that this country is already a world leader in reaching Net Zero by 2050, and by doubling down on the new green industries of the future, we’ll get there in a way that’s both pragmatic and ambitious.
“That’s why it’s fantastic to see the world’s largest wind farm, Dogger Bank, generating power for the first time today from UK waters, which will not only bolster our energy security, but create jobs, lower electricity bills and keep us on track for Net Zero.”
Dogger Bank is being developed and built by the UK’s SSE Renewables in a joint venture with Norway’s Equinor and Vårgrønn (a joint venture of Eni Plenitude and HitecVision). SSE Renewables is lead operator for the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will be lead operator of the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years. Vårgrønn brings specialist offshore wind expertise to the project.
Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive of SSE, said:
“There’s been lots of talk about the need to build homegrown energy supplies, but we are taking action on a massive scale. Dogger Bank will provide a significant boost to UK energy security, affordability and leadership in tackling climate change. This is exactly how we should be responding to the energy crisis.
“But it is also a landmark moment for the global offshore wind industry, with Dogger Bank demonstrating just what can be achieved when policymakers, investors, industry, and communities work together to achieve something truly remarkable.
“The innovations this pioneering project has developed will also mean future developments can be built faster and more efficiently, accelerating the clean energy transition. Now, of course, the challenge is to accelerate the next wave of these projects and we look forward to working with governments to bring these forward as soon as possible.”
Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor, said:
“Set against the broader energy context, Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind farm demonstrates the best of what the offshore wind industry can offer, with innovative technologies, long-term jobs and economic growth and security of electricity supply at a major scale.
“A renewable mega-project like Dogger Bank constitutes an industrial wind hub in the heart of the North Sea, playing a major role in the UK’s ambitions for offshore wind and supporting its net zero ambitions.
“First power from Dogger Bank, is a testament to the collaboration between the authorities, the project partners, suppliers and our host communities to realise this project.”
Olav Hetland, CEO of Vårgrønn, said:
“Dogger Bank’s first power milestone demonstrates that offshore wind is ready to power Europe’s energy transition.
“While today we celebrate Dogger Bank providing its first power, the offshore wind farm is delivering much more than renewable energy. The project has contributed to building industry and creating local jobs and will continue to do so over several decades. Maximising these positive local ripple effects of offshore wind projects is essential to maintaining strong support for offshore wind and the energy transition.
“Looking ahead, we expect the Northeast of England to hold a central place in Europe’s offshore wind future.”
At 260 metres tall, the gigantic turbines at Dogger Bank are almost twice the size of the London Eye and the same height as New York’s iconic Rockefeller Centre. The first power milestone marks the first of what will eventually be 277 turbines powered-up across the project. Each of these turbines will be progressively commissioned between now and full commercial operation in 2026. When complete, Dogger Bank will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, more than two and a half times the size of the largest offshore wind farm currently in operation^.
Dogger Bank sits 70 nautical miles (130km) off the coast of Yorkshire and will occupy an area almost as large as Greater London and nearly twice the size of New York City.
World-firsts in supply chain delivery
The Dogger Bank project has delivered several world-firsts in supply chain delivery that will significantly accelerate the speed at which future offshore projects can be developed. The precision offshore installation of GE Vernova’s new 13MW Haliade-X turbine technology at Dogger Bank A was completed by expert technicians and engineers working off Jan De Nul Group‘s newest jack-up installation vessel, Voltaire. With a lifting capacity of 3,200 tonnes, the Voltaire is the largest offshore jack-up installation vessel of her kind in the world and the first ultra-low emissions ship of its kind.
Dogger Bank also marks the first use of HVDC transmission technology to connect a British wind farm to National Grid’s UK energy network. This includes the installation of the world’s first unmanned offshore HVDC substation platform at the site, as well as first use of Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light® transmission system which was successfully executed in record time of 38 months with the highest safety and quality standards.
GE Vernova Offshore Wind CEO Jan Kjaersgaard said:
“We are delighted to have energised the first Haliade-X turbine at sea as part of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and we want to congratulate our customers and thank all of our partners on achieving this important milestone. At GE Vernova we are committed to electrifying the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it. We are honored to have been able to provide the first of a next generation of 13MW+ turbines for this historic project, reinforcing the critical role of technology innovation in meeting the challenges of climate change.”
Jan Van Impe, Manager Jan De Nul Offshore Renewables at Jan De Nul Group, added:
“Our Voltaire has proven today that the scale and characteristics of the offshore Dogger Bank turbines offer the perfect challenge for this next generation state-of-the art jack-up installation vessel. We are excited to have installed the very first offshore GE Haliade-X turbine on the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in a sustainable and efficient way, and we are looking forward to continuing this mission with industry leaders SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn to further construct the energy transition for the UK energy market.”
Claudio Facchin, Chief Executive Officer, Hitachi Energy, 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. Today is a significant milestone in securing the UK’s future energy needs, made possible by foresighted partners such as SSE, Equinor and Vårgrønn, that have made the UK a leader in the transition to clean power.”
John Twomey, director of customer connections at National Grid, said:
“It’s a momentous engineering achievement and landmark moment to see Dogger Bank exporting its first power onto the grid. When operational as the world’s biggest wind farm, its turbines will play a key role supplying Britain with green, homegrown energy. We’re proud to have played our part reinforcing our Creyke Beck substation in readiness to safely connect that clean power to our network, and on to homes and businesses around the country.”
Creating local jobs
More than 2,000 UK jobs have been created or supported in relation to the construction and operation activities of Dogger Bank. Many of these are based in the north of England, where the project’s supply chain is creating long-term opportunities for people just starting out in their careers, as well as more experienced workers transitioning from other industries to renewable energy.
RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Dan McGrail said:
“The sheer scale of Dogger Bank shows that offshore wind is taking centre stage in Britain’s clean energy system as we move away from expensive imported fossil fuels to secure cheap homegrown power.
“This massive innovative clean energy project is a significant step forward for the UK’s world-leading offshore wind industry, creating thousands of jobs and attracting billions in private investment.
“Coastal communities in the north of England and beyond are benefitting from the new industrial opportunities which offshore wind is providing. This shows that the Government is right to press ahead with policies to increase our energy security by ensuring that vital new clean energy projects can be built faster”.
Ends
Further information from:
Jake Hamilton, Communications Officer, SSE Renewables
M: 07342026875 / jacob.hamilton@sse.com
** Photos and B-roll footage **:
See Dropbox and Vimeo link below to photos and B-roll footage of the first turbines installed at Dogger Bank site in the North Sea:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1ehg835tf5x4yu8/AAB3zUDd9YDULXlptnpdwC0wa?dl=0
https://vimeo.com/872539585/33eaf222ad?share=copy
** Please credit: Dogger Bank Wind Farm **
* 6 million homes powered per annum based on Typical Domestic Consumption Values in Britain (Medium Electricity Profile Class 1, 2,900kWh per household; OFGEM, January 2021), typical 55% offshore wind load factor, and projected installed capacity of 3.6GW.
