Latest news : Supply Chain

North Star’s Grampian Derwent vessel delivered to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm

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.

Sofia and Dogger Bank Wind Farm projects confirm converter station transformer deliveries

26th October 2023 in Construction, Supply Chain

Sofia Offshore Wind Farm and Dogger Bank C, the third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, will begin transporting electricity transformers from Teesport to the home of both projects’ onshore converter station sites near Lazenby from late October into mid-December.

There will be four Sofia deliveries anticipated, starting on the Saturday mornings of 28 October and 4, 11 and 18 November. Each delivery will take approximately one hour, depending on the conditions.

There will also be a series of deliveries to support Dogger Bank C Wind Farm’s converter station construction programme. The transformers will take the same route and commence on 18 November, followed by 25 November and 2 and 9 December.

The transformers will travel from Teesport via the A1015 and A174 and will be delivered on specialist girder frame trailers provided by UK firm Allelys. The size of the transformers requires the use of abnormal load vehicles due to being approximately 35m long and 4.55m wide – with the load travelling at roughly 10 -15 miles per hour.

 Chris O’Donnell, Site Manager for DBC Onshore Converter Station said:

While we will do everything we can to minimise disruption during these deliveries, it is possible some journey times may be slightly longer than normal and we would ask occupants and local residents for their patience as we carry out this critical work.”

“Delivery of these transformers is an important milestone for the construction of our infrastructure in Redcar.”

“We are extremely grateful for the ongoing patience and understanding of the communities in this area as we build the infrastructure that will help the UK to reduce carbon emissions and create a secure electricity supply for 6 million UK homes.”

Matthew Archer, Site Manager for Sofia Onshore Converter Station said:

“Sofia will be RWE’s most state-of-the-art offshore wind farm yet and a major addition to our growing portfolio of renewable energy assets.”

“Work on the station at Wilton continues at pace, and the arrival of these transformers is an important moment for the project.”

“As ever I’d like to thank the local community for their patience. We’re doing our best to keep disruption down to a minimum at all times. In this instance we expect that there may be some minor disruption to the roads linking Teesport to our Wilton site, with some journey times taking a little longer around mid-morning on affected days.”

Sofia and Dogger Bank C’s contractors GE and Hitachi Energy are currently working on the two projects’ respective onshore converter stations (OCS), that will convert electricity from the two offshore wind farms into a current that will go into the national grid network for distribution to homes and businesses.

The projects are both located on Dogger Bank, more than 195 kilometres from the north-east coast of England, with their export cables coming ashore on Teesside, between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea.

Sofia is 100% owned by RWE, and Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn. Although they are owned by different companies, the developers realised early that it made sense to work jointly on their shared cable corridor, with civil engineering works being carried out by J Murphy & Sons (JMS). Sofia is leading the works on behalf of both projects.

If you’d like to know more about either project, please visit: Sofia Offshore Wind Farm or Dogger Bank Wind Farm

We also provide regular updates on our social media channels @DoggerBankWind and  @sofiawindfarm

Delivery dates were correct at the date of issue; however they may be subject to potential change at short notice.

ENDS

Certex UK wins contract on world’s largest offshore wind farm

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”.

Intasite adds Dogger Bank Wind Farm to growing client base

9th August 2023 in Press releases, Supply Chain

Intasite team visit the Dogger Bank Operations and Maintenance base.

Intasite, a leading provider of innovative workplace safety solutions for high hazard industries, has been contracted by Equinor to create health and safety induction content for its operations and maintenance (O&M) base at Port of Tyne, South Shields.  

In a unique element of the partnership, the customised induction content also includes videos featuring the children of the employees of the world’s largest offshore windfarm in health and safety and induction videos. This approach is intended to make the health and safety information more memorable and impactful. 

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm currently under construction 130km off the North East coastline, will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm once complete in 2026. Dogger Bank’s O&M base has been constructed in the Tyne Dock Enterprise Park (TDEP) as part of the Port of Tyne’s Tyne Clean Energy Park. 

Intasite’s collaboration with Dogger Bank Wind Farm adds to its growing presence in the renewable energy sector, following its partnership with SeAH Wind. The company has been actively working with various renewable organisations, including SSE Renewables, EDF Renewables, Hitachi Energy, SeAH Wind, and RWE, to develop safety induction processes and create safer working environments. 

By using the Stockton-based business’s platform, companies can streamline the induction process and provide comprehensive and interactive safety modules that can be completed by visitors, staff, and contractors from any desktop or mobile device. The platform also offers features such as contractor and supplier management, safety briefings, language translations, and integration with access control for enhanced security. 

Intasite’s commitment to providing effective and user-friendly health and safety induction solutions has gained recognition in the UK industry. The company’s in-house production team specialises in creating health and safety induction videos, ensuring that the content is tailored to specific safety requirements and industry standards. 

Digitising and streamlining the induction process with Intasite’s platform enables organisations to improve employee engagement and comprehension, reduce compliance risks, and foster a culture of safety from day one. 

Danielle Croce, director at Intasite, said: “We are pleased that once again, we have confirmed Intasite as the induction provider of choice for the renewable energy sector.  

“By featuring employee’s children in the videos, this will make the health and safety information more memorable and impactful.” 

David Collier, Equinor SSU lead for Dogger Bank, said: “At Dogger Bank, health and safety is our top priority. By utilising Intasite’s platform, we have successfully incorporated captivating content to the induction process, being able to include the children of our own employees. By connecting our team through their loved ones, we achieve not only heightened engagement but also a greater commitment to maintaining a safe and secure work environment.” 

CHC Helicopter secures aviation contract on Dogger Bank Wind Farm

6th July 2023 in Press releases, Supply Chain

CHC Helicopter, a global helicopter services company specialising in offshore transportation, has been awarded a contract to support the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. 

CHC has been contracted to provide crew change support for the development of the first phase of the project – Dogger Bank A, with the first flights launched at the end of April. The company is providing AW139 and H175 aircraft to support the contract from its Norwich base. 

Alan Borland, Project Manager, Dogger Bank Wind Farm said: 

“Being so far from shore presents new challenges to how we manage logistics in Offshore wind, which can only be overcome through the use of trusted suppliers so we are delighted that CHC will join the project to as our aviation partner to support us in our crew changes during the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.” 

CHC Helicopter has a long-standing track record of delivering innovative aviation solutions in challenging environments worldwide.  

David Grant, Sales Director, EMEA, said 

“We are thrilled to be selected as the aviation partner for the construction of the world’s largest offshore wind farm. This significant project represents a major step towards achieving a greener future, and we are fully committed to supporting the development of sustainable energy sources. Our team is hard at work already to provide safe and efficient services to ensure the success and on-time completion of this ambitious undertaking.”