Dogger Bank Wind Farm re-opens scholarship fund for third round
- The scholarship fund supports students undertaking courses focussed on science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) courses.
- The programme will be open to students in South Tyneside, Redcar and Cleveland and East Riding of Yorkshire.
- 62 scholarships will be available during the construction of the wind farm to support the cost of further education, as part of a wider £1 million community investment.
June 2023: Dogger Bank Wind Farm is continuing its support to coastal communities in the north and north-east of England by opening the third year of its successful scholarship programme.
Last year, an additional twenty-five students from coastal communities in the north and north-east of England were supported with the cost of further education, thanks to the scholarship programme of £5,000 each from Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The initiative focuses on the areas of East Riding of Yorkshire, and Redcar and Cleveland, where the wind farm connects to the National Grid, as well as South Tyneside, where the Operation and Maintenance Base is located.
The wind farm has already awarded 50 scholarships to date to local students undertaking science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) courses in further education to help young people prepare for working life in a net zero world and support students with tuition fees at a key stage in their educations.
Previous scholarship awards have already helped students from across the local area to take first steps to their future careers. Successful scholars have been studying subjects as varied as engineering, medicine, maths, cyber security and even zoology. The students highlight that the scholarship has helped reduce the financial pressure of education and enables them to focus on their studies.
The third round of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm scholarship fund is open for applications until 1 September 2023 and further details on how to apply can be found here.
Lindsay Dougan, Community Investment Manager from Dogger Bank Wind Farm said:
“We recognise that students have many challenges to complete education, and we want to help them ease this pressure. Our scholarship fund is helping local students prepare for the highly skilled jobs that will be available in a net zero world. We look forward to offering the scholarship programme for a third year to support even more talented local students.”
Saffron Sollitt is studying a BSc in Physical Geography at the University of Hull. She said:
“This scholarship has taken a lot of weight off my shoulders! It is making me less anxious to take my next step in education, to achieve a master’s degree in volcanology.”
Ethan Ofosu is from South Shields and is studying Forensic and Analytical Chemistry at the University of Strathclyd. The former Bedford School student, said:
”Having gained this scholarship shows that there are local businesses that are willing to support young people like me in the community.”
Mechanical Engineering student, Paul Thomas, from Redcar, said:
“The scholarship has enabled me to fully concentrate on my HNC in Mechanical Engineering, during this challenging economic climate.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be located more than 130 km off the northeast coast and will generate enough renewable energy to power six million UK homes. A joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). SSE Renewables is leading on the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years.
The wind farm is being built in three consecutive 1.2 GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C – connecting to the National Grid in both East Riding of Yorkshire and on Teesside. The third phase of the wind farm, Dogger Bank C, will reach landfall at Marske-by-the-sea. The underground onshore cables will be routed to an onshore convertor station near Lazenby, where preparation work is already underway. Once the current is converted, the renewable energy will make its way to an existing National Grid substation at Lackenby.
In June 2021, Dogger Bank Wind Farm unveiled plans for a £1 million construction fund to support coastal communities where its onshore infrastructure is being developed. The programme includes a significant investment in science, technology, engineering, and maths, as well as an operators fund to support local causes. Further information is available at www.doggerbank.com/about/community/
Picture caption: Saffron Sollitt, studying a BSc in Physical Geography at the University of Hull.