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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30th September 2021 in Operations, Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
Great Yarmouth-based marine and engineering specialist Alicat has won a multi-million-pound contract with North Star Renewables to build low-carbon vessels destined for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, 130km off England’s North East coast.
Following a competitive tender involving multiple UK shipyards, Alicat has been awarded North Star’s initial contract to bring its first two hybrid-powered daughter craft to the renewables market. The vessels, which boast low carbon emission potential, will utilise the game changing combination of diesel and electric outboards, a world first for this form of workboat.
Designed by Southampton-based naval architects Chartwell Marine in collaboration with North Star, the daughter craft will be used to safely transfer technicians from their accommodation onboard North Star’s service offshore vessels (SOVs), to work on the offshore wind turbines at Dogger Bank A and B. Dogger Bank A and B are a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). Dogger Bank C is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (50%) and Equinor (50%). SSE renewables is leading on the construction of the wind farm and Equinor will operate the wind farm for its lifetime of up to 35 years.
Once the third phase is completed and operational, it will become the biggest offshore wind farm ever built and able to generate around 5% of the UK’s electricity.
With bases in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Lowestoft, North Star has the world’s largest daughter rescue fleet and has been servicing the North Sea’s oil and gas sector for more than 40 years. It currently has 63 daughter craft within the existing fleet, managed and maintained by the two Rescue Boat divisions in Aberdeen and Lowestoft. North Star group includes 1,400 employees servicing more than 60 locations and mobile installations in the UK Continental Shelf.
The new hybrid propulsion daughter crafts include stabiliser technology ensuring the vessels will not only deliver reduced carbon emissions, but provide class leading comfort for the technicians on board whilst setting a new standard for safe operations. It has an increased sea state operability and safe transfer, tank tested at wave heights of up to 1.7m Hs – significantly higher than any alternative wind farm daughter craft.
The first daughter craft is being delivered 12 months ahead of schedule, under the build supervision locally of North Star Group’s Boston Putford division in Lowestoft. This will allow time for performance analysis and improvements, crew training and additional development ahead of the first of three SOVs arriving from summer 2023.
North Star chief operating officer and Boston Putford MD Robert Catchpole said:
“We are very excited to announce Alicat as the chosen shipbuilder for our first next generation and new breed of sustainable, reliable, comfortable daughter craft fleet, configured specifically for the renewables sector. Alicat is a leader in its field and demonstrated the comprehensive technical knowledge as well as great craftsmanship and the project management skills required to deliver the first of our new fleet. We also have great confidence in their capabilities after they satisfied all the financial, commercial and QHSE criteria set out in the contract.
“We are very fortunate to have talented companies like Alicat on our doorstep in East Anglia and working with them aligns to our strategy of utilising UK businesses whenever possible to strengthen our services in our ambitions as the market leader in marine offshore wind infrastructure support in the UK, and abroad.”
Alicat director Simon Coote, said:
“This multi-million-pound contract is a significant win for our business as it further establishes us on the renewables map as the first company in the world to build hybrid powered daughter craft, which is also the first offshore wind daughter craft to be built in the UK.
“Our involvement in testing and knowledge of the new breed of outboard propulsion packages has a significant role to play in the build of these innovative vessels.
“This is a great achievement for all the parties involved as well as for the local boatbuilding industry and supply chain which will support ongoing employment and open further opportunities for local employment and apprenticeships.”
Luca Daniele, marine and logistic leader at Equinor, said:
“It’s great to see the impact Dogger Bank is having on the UK supply chain, and to see innovative companies like Alicat benefit from building the world’s largest offshore wind farm here. Innovation and sustainability are key areas of focus for the project and we are delighted the award of this contract demonstrates both.”
17th March 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
Leading Aberdeen company North Star Renewables was awarded contracts worth an estimated £270 million in March to deliver three state-of-the-art service operation vessels to be used on Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
North Star will be commencing a recruitment programme for new seafarers in the next six months. The firm is looking to hire around 130 onshore and offshore personnel from across the UK to support the Dogger Bank project.
Media contact – Dogger Bank Wind Farm:
Rachel Lawrence, SSE Renewables
rachel.lawrence@sse.com
+44 (0) 7385 368783
Media contact – North Star Renewables:
Pam Wilson, BIG Partnership
pam.wilson@bigpartnership.co.uk
+44 (0) 07772 287 588
14th September 2021 in Operations, Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
Dogger Bank Wind Farm has today revealed that its new operations and maintenance (O&M) base will be constructed and operated in line with the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Framework to ensure transparent and robust reporting of its sustainability credentials.
The facility, to be located at the Port of Tyne, will support what will become the biggest offshore wind farm in the world upon completion. Construction of the base is expected to start in Q3 2021 and end in Q3 2022, ahead of wind farm operations starting in 2023. Around 200 people will be based there or offshore to operate and maintain the wind farm, which will be able to generate around 5% of the UK’s electricity.
The O&M base has been designed by international design practice, Ryder Architecture, headquartered in Newcastle. The construction project is being managed by Equinor, which has contracted global real estate advisor CBRE as the local Project Manager, and Bowmer + Kirkland (B+K) as the Principal Contractor for the facility.
B+K will manage the work from their offices in Sunderland, close to the Port of Tyne where the base will be located.
Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor, said “With the capability to generate electricity for millions of homes, Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built on a scale never been seen before in offshore wind. The project will make a real contribution to decarbonising our electricity system, and help the UK meet its net zero targets.
“The sustainable ethos of the project runs right through to operations. We are delighted that we will work with CBRE and Bowmer + Kirkland on this innovative building, that has been designed by Ryder with sustainability at the forefront. This modern and attractive facility will support over 200 people working directly on Dogger Bank, and be a proud base at the heart of the North East for teams working on the world’s largest offshore wind farm.”
The 3407m2 base will use low carbon materials and will meet the highest energy efficiency classifications. Solar PV panels will be installed for onsite renewable generation, and EV charging points will be available so staff and visitors can travel there in low emissions vehicles, further reducing the wider impact.
In the UK, the industry recognised framework for verifying the Net Zero Carbon (NZC) performance of the built environment, both during construction and operational phases, is provided by the UK Green building council (UKGBC). There are two strands to this framework, principles for NZC construction and principles to be applied for operational NZC; both of which will be applied to the base. CBRE will work closely with the project team to apply industry recognised approaches to material selection, operational energy modelling and carbon accounting, submitting a final evidence pack for third party review.
To demonstrate commitment to NZC and to drive down the cradle to practical completion embodied carbon, the project has set an internal carbon price (ICP) for the facility aligned with industry best practice. Consideration of this ICP rate alongside the market cost of associated materials has allowed the design team to make a financial case for selecting materials with best in class environmental performance. CBRE is overseeing the Project and Cost Management for the project. In addition, CBRE is providing Mechanical and Electrical Design, Sustainability and Environmental Consultancy.
Mark Little, Head of Scotland, Project Management and Building Consultancy at CBRE, said “We are incredibly excited and honoured to deliver this project on behalf of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. The design and construction methods to be used are at the forefront of sustainable development, maximising the use of local skills and materials in and around the North East.”
Bowmer + Kirkland has been appointed to perform detailed design and build the facility, including office space, a large warehouse to store spare parts, car parking and HGV yard as well as an outside recreational area.
Liz Wilson, B+K Project Manager said: “The Bowmer + Kirkland North East & Scotland region is immensely proud to be representing Dogger Bank for this new development that will attract some of the region’s leading professionals. It is fantastic that we have been successful in our bid for this high profile project and that we are able to provide support and sustainability to our region and local supply chain especially after the last 18 months.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Director, Steve Wilson, said: “With its low carbon materials, solar panels and EV charging points, we hope this locally-designed base will help inspire future developers as the UK continues on its journey to net zero. Once again Dogger Bank Wind Farm has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible to drive positive improvements in low carbon development.”
Dogger Bank wind farm will be located more than 130km out to sea, off the North East coast of England, and when complete will be able to generate around 5% of the UK’s electricity.
The project has already announced it will use the world’s first Ultra-Low emissions jack-up vessel to install its ground-breaking turbines, the most powerful in the world, and the Service Operations Vessels used during operations will be fitted with a hybrid battery system to reduce emissions even further.
Recruitment will ramp up in 2022, as the project looks to fill roles including wind farm technicians, health and safety professionals, project planners and engineers. It is expected that the activity from a world-leading project as large as Dogger Bank will attract supply chain companies to the area, and companies in the North East are already feeling the ripple effects.
Dogger Bank wind farm is being built in three phases, Dogger Bank A, B and C. Dogger Bank A and B are a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). Dogger Bank C is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (50%) and Equinor (50%). SSE renewables is leading on the construction of the wind farm and Equinor will operate the wind farm for its lifetime of up to 35 years.
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About Equinor in the North East
As a broad energy company, Equinor is committed to long term value creation in a low carbon future, and targeting carbon neutral operations globally by 2030.
With its partners SSE Renewables and Eni, Equinor is building the largest offshore wind farm in the world, Dogger Bank, off the North East coast of England. Equinor will lead the Operations phase of the wind farm, and around 200 new roles will be created to operate and maintain the wind farm, from a state-of-the-art base that will be constructed at the Port of Tyne.
Equinor is working closely with the North East Offshore Wind Cluster Energi Coast and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult to advance the offshore wind industry in the region. This includes supporting the Technology, Innovation & Green Growth for Offshore Renewables (TIGGOR) programme designed to boost supply chain growth and productivity for companies in the North East.
Equinor is also a leader in carbon capture utilisation & storage (CCUS) and hydrogen, and is developing a number of projects in the UK, including in the Humber and Teesside regions of North East England. It is developing the H2H Saltend low-carbon hydrogen production plant that is at the heart of the Zero Carbon Humber alliance and collaborating with SSE Thermal on low-carbon power projects using hydrogen and carbon capture in the Humber. It is also partnering in the Net Zero Teesside power project and, as part of the Northern Endurance Partnership, it is developing CO2 transport and storage infrastructure for the Humber and Teesside.
Find out more at www.equinor.co.uk
About SSE Renewables
SSE Renewables is a leading developer, owner and operator of renewable energy across the UK and Ireland, with a portfolio of around 4GW of onshore wind, offshore wind and hydro. Part of the FTSE-listed SSE plc, its strategy is to drive the transition to a net zero future through the world class development, construction and operation of renewable energy assets.
SSE Renewables is leading construction of more offshore wind energy than any other company in the world right now. It is currently constructing the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea, a joint venture with Equinor and Eni, as well as Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, the 1.1GW Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm in the Firth of Forth, which is a joint venture with TotalEnergies. It also has the largest offshore wind development pipeline across the UK and Ireland at around 7GW, of which around 1.5GW is already in construction and nearly 800MW is fully consented.
SSE Renewables owns nearly 2GW of operational onshore wind capacity with a development pipeline of over 1GW under development. Its 1,459MW hydro portfolio includes 300MW of pumped storage and 750MW of flexible hydro. Its operational offshore wind portfolio consists of 487MW across two offshore joint venture sites, Beatrice and Greater Gabbard, both of which it operates on behalf of its asset partners.
SSE Renewables parent company SSE plc is a Principal Partner to the UK Government in the run up to and during the COP26 UN climate summit in November 2021.
Bowmer + Kirkland
Established in 1923, Bowmer + Kirkland (B+K) has grown to become one of the UK’s most successful and financially secure, privately-owned construction and development groups. There are 27 companies within the group specialising in construction and construction-related activities. Last year we achieved a turnover of £1.11billion.
Over the past five years 63% of our projects were for returning clients in a variety of sectors.
Bowmer + Kirkland offers clients in both the private and public sectors a national service delivered locally through specialist regional teams located in Manchester, Sunderland, Motherwell, Reading, London and our HQ in Derbyshire. As a private, family-owned business our aim is simple – to deliver the highest level of client satisfaction on every project.
About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE: CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2020 revenue). The company has more than 100,000 employees serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE serves a diverse range of clients with an integrated suite of services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com
Ryder Architecture
Ryder was established in Newcastle in 1953, and now has a team of over 300 passionate people across the UK, Hong Kong, Vancouver and Amsterdam. We deliver pioneering architectural services across a diverse portfolio of sectors, collaborating globally with Ryder Alliance partners.
Our goal is simple – to improve the quality of the world around us and, in doing so, improve people’s lives.
www.ryderarchitecture.com #Everythingarchitecture
13th September 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
- Plans for the Teesside-based factory were unveiled by LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy Business, following a significant order from Dogger Bank Wind Farm for the Haliade-X turbine.
- The Teesworks plant 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.
- Facility will create 750 direct and 1,500 indirect jobs in the region.
GE Renewable Energy has secured planning approval to build a new world-class blade manufacturing facility on Teesside in the north-east of England 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 earlier this year, 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.
Construction of the plant should begin later in 2021 on completion of all contractual documents, while recruitment is scheduled to begin in mid-2022.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:
“It’s fantastic news that this mammoth project has passed the planning hurdle and is on course to be up-and-running by 2023, helping to create thousands of well-paid, good-quality jobs for people across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool. Once completed, it will play a central role in our ambitions to become a powerhouse in the growing UK offshore wind sector and add a huge amount to our clean energy credentials. In the short-term, we can now get spades in the ground and give a vital post-pandemic boost to our construction sector.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, Steve Wilson, said:
“This important milestone brings us a step closer to the installation of UK-manufactured turbine blades on the world’s largest offshore wind farm. We’re proud to be the anchor project for this world-leading LM Wind Power facility, which offers long-term benefits to Teesside and the wider UK supply chain.”
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.
Olivier Fontan, President & CEO of LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy business said:
“We are delighted to have received this important approval from the local planning authorities and are thankful for the collaboration between all parties involved, including Teesworks and the South Tees Development Corporation. This important milestone sets us on track for the construction and future opening of the facility in 2023. We are proud of the contribution we will be making in rejuvenating this industrial cluster and helping it play a key role in future of renewable energy.”
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.
Andrew Bellamy, LM Wind Power UK General Manager said:
“We anticipate the vast majority of the roles in our new factory to be filled by local workers who will be given training through the LM Centre of Excellence, where they will be fully upskilled on blade manufacturing techniques. These highly skilled operator roles are key to the success of the plant, and we are ready to leverage the knowledge and experience of our global LM Wind Power team with the manufacturing pedigree of the Tees region.”
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.
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 has also been selected to provide its uprated Haliade-X 14MW for Dogger Bank C, 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.
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Picture caption: GE Renewable Energy has secured planning approval to build a new world-class blade manufacturing facility on Teesside in the north-east of England to produce blades for its Haliade-X turbine that will power Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind farm. Picture source: GE Renewable Energy.
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
23rd July 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain, Uncategorised
South Tyneside manufacturer Metec UK has won two multi-million pound contracts on Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
Metec UK manufactures sacrificial anodes for the long-term protection of steel jackets and foundations against corrosion, and is used in the offshore renewable energy industry.
The fast-growing company, established only four years ago, will supply cathodic protection sacrificial anodes for transition pieces and monopiles, for the first two phases of the record-breaking wind farm.
Built by SSE Renewables and operated by Equinor, the wind farm has already created or supported thousands of new jobs and will be built in three phases, Dogger Bank A, B and C.
Alberto Via, UK Managing Director of METEC UK, said:
“Over the last six months we’ve been absolutely delighted to win a number of domestic and international contracts, including in Scotland, France and Holland. These latest successes – and in particular the flagship Dogger Bank Wind Farm contract – justifies our commitment to South Tyneside, the north-east and the UK. Our success demonstrates our ability to support large, important and prestigious renewable energy projects of this nature throughout the UK and Europe.
“We have the capacity, capability and expertise at Metec that places us right at the heart of where we need to be in an industry which is set to see significant growth and investment over the next 10 years.
“As a young, ambitious and expanding company, which has invested over £4 million in premises and furnaces since 2017, we expect to see further growth throughout 2021. We are in this for the long term and we’re very excited for the future of Metec and the industry as a whole.”
Metec UK, which has manufacturing facilities in South Shields and Tunisia with representation around the globe, is a leading manufacturer of corrosion protection for high value subsea assets. Initially employing just six people, the company now has 45 people within its business.
Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor, said:
“As we build up our operations in South Tyneside it’s great to see a local company not only win this flagship contract with the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, but also exporting to other countries.
“With ambitious targets to quadruple UK capacity in the next decade, the offshore wind industry provides billions of pounds of supply chain opportunities, and in supporting UK companies we will also build up a competitive supply chain that can win international contracts.
“We look forward to continuing to work with UK companies, particularly in northern England where we will operate the wind farm for decades to come.”
Metec UK is a sub-contractor with Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s tier one contractor, Smulders. Smulders was selected for the supply, fabrication and fit-out of the secondary steel for the transition pieces in late 2020. Smulders will work alongside Sif, the company selected to provide fabrication and supply of 190 monopiles and primary steel for the transition pieces.
