16th December 2021 in Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
- 250 km of inter-array cable to be installed at third phase of world’s biggest offshore wind farm .
16 December 2021: Dogger Bank Wind Farm has signed an EPCI contract with DEME Offshore for the inter-array cables at the 1.2GW Dogger Bank C phase of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
Today’s announcement follows the earlier award of the Dogger bank A and B inter-array cable contract to DEME in early 2021.
The scope of this new EPCI agreement includes the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the subsea cables for the 1.2 GW phase of the wind farm. DEME Offshore will supply, install and protect approximately 250 km of 66 kV inter-array cables and all related accessories.
Production of the cables for Dogger Bank C is set to start in 2023. The cables will be installed in 2025 and DEME will once again be deploying its DP3 cable installation vessel ‘Living Stone’. Living Stone boasts an inhouse designed dual-lane system, consisting of two cable highways – this allows cable laying using one lane whilst the next cable can be simultaneously prepared and have the cable protection system (CPS) installed on the other lane. As previously demonstrated, this significantly reduces the time needed for preparing the cables, minimises manual handling, increases the vessel’s workability and ultimately, improves production rates.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located more than 130km off the north-east coast of England and is currently being delivered by joint venture partners SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni. The wind farm is being developed in three 1.2 GW phases, A, B and C. Upon completion, Dogger Bank will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm and will generate energy to power 6 million homes every year.
Bart De Poorter, General Manager of DEME Offshore commented: “
After securing the Dogger Bank A and B inter-array cable contract earlier this year, we are proud to now also confirm the inter-array cable contract for Dogger Bank C. This contract not only demonstrates the unrivalled cable-laying capabilities by our DEME Offshore team, it is also further testament to the stellar reputation of our DP3 cable installation vessel ‘Living Stone’.”
Simon Bailey, Commercial Director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm said:
“We are delighted to award the contract for the supply, installation and protection of the inter-array cables at Dogger Bank C to DEME Offshore, extending our existing relationship with DEME on phases A and B to the third phase of this project. This will ensure continued synergies across the construction activities of the offshore wind farm, including the deployment of DEME’s state-of-the-art cable installation vessel ‘Living Stone’ which will install the almost 250 km of 66 kV inter-array cables required to connect Dogger Bank C’s offshore turbines.”
Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). On 2 November 2021 SSE and Equinor announced the sell down of a combined 20% share in Dogger Bank C to Eni (10% each). The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2022, subject to regulatory and lenders approvals and customary purchase price adjustments. Eni will enter the asset effective from completion of the sell down transaction. Once the transaction is complete, the new overall shareholding in Dogger Bank C will be SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%).
Ends
9th December 2021 in Operations, Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
North Star Group has been awarded a service operations vessel (SOV) contract to support the third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, with the creation of 40 more UK-based jobs.
The UK firm will deliver an additional ship boasting its new hybrid-powered renewables fleet design to support offshore wind technicians working in the field.
This will be the fourth SOV and associated daughter craft the business has been contracted to build and operate by the project, making North Star the exclusive service vessel operator for the world’s largest wind farm for at least the next decade.
In March, the firm won the initial contract for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B following a competitive tender for the design and delivery of three SOVs.
Each of the four Dogger Bank SOVs have been contracted on a 10-year agreement, with three additional one-year options.
Around 40 new full-time positions in crewing and onshore-based job will be created locally, in addition to the 130 announced previously to support the first three SOVs. Recruitment is already underway, underpinning the company’s commitment to supporting communities in the UK.
The company, which employs around 1,400 personnel out of its facilities in Aberdeen, Newcastle and its Boston Putford division in Lowestoft, has unrivalled marine expertise in the North Sea. The business, which has been operating for 135 years, has the largest wholly owned UK fleet and currently supports more than 50 installations with its existing purpose-built tonnage.
North Star’s new SOVs are high performance, sustainable vessels capable of supporting net-zero goals and utilising fuels of the future. They provide comfortable, floating-hotel style accommodation to offshore wind turbine technicians and a centralised logistics hub to travel to and from work each day across a “walk-to-work” gangway, or transfer via a smaller daughter craft vessel. The SOVs are also configured to handle cargo and act as a warehouse.
North Star CEO, Matthew Gordon said:
“Securing the final SOV contract required for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm development for the next decade is an honour, and testament to the hard work and dedication of the team at North Star and our talented technology partners. We are fully committed to supporting the local supply chain and communities in the UK where possible and are actively recruiting around 170 personnel from across the country to support this complete vessel package.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Equinor, SSE Renewables and Eni for their enthusiasm and confidence in our SOV service, which significantly shifts the dial on sustainability, comfort, safety and workability These hybrid-powered vessels are futureproofed for tomorrow’s zero-carbon emission marine fuels and the superior home-from-home living space will provide the offshore wind technicians exceptional respite from the often-harsh North Sea environment.
“The Dogger Bank C award has put us in an even stronger market position to deliver further value to our shareholders as we continue with our strategic ambitions to secure additional projects in the UK offshore renewables market and beyond.”
Due to its size and scale, Dogger Bank is being built in three consecutive 1.2GW phases; Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C. In total the wind farm is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to supply 5% of the UK’s demand, equivalent to powering six million homes.
Rune Rønvik, Project Manager for Dogger Bank, said:
“With the final SOV also being delivered by North Star we will have the same ship owner across all three phases which means we will continue the constructive cooperation we have started and develop the operational synergies further.
“As we have seen from North Star’s initial contract award, securing big orders can really help UK businesses enter the offshore wind market, secure investment and create jobs, and we at Dogger Bank are proud to have played a role in enabling this UK company take advantage of the global opportunity presented by offshore wind.”
ENDS
8th December 2021 in Community News, Press releases, Project news
Dogger Bank Wind Farm has demonstrated its commitment to the north and north-east of England with further awards from its operator fund. In the latest round of awards 15 local community groups have been supported to help local people recover and rebuild from the pandemic and to enhance local community assets.
The Dogger Bank Operator Fund provides small grants to grass roots community projects to help enhance quality of life for local residents, contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities, and/or promote community spirit and encourage community activity.
The funding decisions are made by a panel with representatives from wind farm joint venture partners Equinor and SSE Renewables as well as independent participant Caroline Lofthouse from NOF. NOF is a not-for-profit business development organisation helping to make connections between national businesses and the energy sector.
Caroline Lofthouse, Head of Commercials & Partnerships at NOF and Cluster Manager for Energi Coast, north-east England’s offshore wind cluster, said:
“The benefits of a vibrant offshore wind industry are far reaching and the Dogger Bank Constructor Fund demonstrates how the sector makes a significant contribution to the local community as well as the economy and our renewable energy requirements. I am very proud to be part of this initiative, which is helping some important causes and organisations in the north of England.”
In East Riding of Yorkshire, Cherry Tree Community Centre has been supported to create new recipe bags for local residents. The bags provide healthy and nutritious meal ideas which can feed the whole family. Also in the region Men in Sheds Beverley has been provided support to enhance their facilities. This will enable more local older people to meet up, learn new skills and complete craftwork for the community. The Men in Sheds initiative is used by lots of local people, especially those who experience isolation or who are recovering from health complications including cancer and strokes.
Jo Ramsay, Manager at Cherry Tree Community Centre, said:
“We are extremely grateful for the support from Dogger Wind Farm. The community pantry was set up in Covid as lots of people lost an income, jobs and family members. We currently help support 800 adults and 500 children with food and emergency supplies from gas, electric and hygiene products. The recipe bags are a big success. Feedback from families and individuals is that it’s nice to follow a recipe and cook a healthy meal instead of convenience foods”
In South Tyneside, Wilby Roc has been funded to deliver a community well-being day. The charity recognises that many local people have had a challenging year and will deliver a well-being day which will allow community members to try new activities and crafts and learn well-being techniques. Also in the region, Bede’s Helping Hands has been supported to set up a job search club in their premises. The facility will enable local people to develop CVs, search for jobs and complete on-line training.
Danielle Pollard, Education Director at Wilby Rocs, said:
‘”The grant from the Dogger Bank Wind Farm will go towards essential well-being services. The people of South Tyneside have been through so much and we want to create a day where we can get people together and find out how to improve well-being, physical and mental health. I give a huge thanks to Dogger Bank Wind Farm from Wilby Roc’s and the people of South Tyneside.”
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, SSE Renewables is leading on Dogger Bank construction and delivery while Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion.
In June Dogger Bank Wind Farm unveiled plans for a £1 million construction fund to support the coastal communities where its onshore infrastructure is being developed. The programme includes a significant investment in science, technology, engineering and maths provision, university scholarships as well as an operators fund to support local causes. Further information is available at www.doggerbank.com/about/community/
The groups to receive awards in the latest round and how they used their grants:
East Riding:
- Cherry Trees Community Centre – to provide recipe bags for local families
- Long Riston Playing Fields – to re-develop a children’s play park
- Rickaby Village Hall Committee – new kitchen equipment
- Men in Sheds Beverley – safety enhancements
- Beverley FM – community work experience placements
- Kilham School PTA – outside STEM learning area
- Nature Tots – equipment to support outdoor play group
- Wombles Beverley – litter picking equipment
- Woodmansey School PTA – sports equipment
South Tyneside:
- Bede’s Helping Hands Food Bank – setting up job search club
- Bliss Ability – running community support group for people with depression
- Hedworthfield Community Association – outdoor seating
- Williby Rocs CIC – community wellbeing day
- Action Station – volunteer expenses
- Kayaks – support for a club for children with specialist needs
3rd December 2021 in Construction, Press releases, Project news, Supply Chain
Three quarters of the ducts and a third of the on-shore high voltage cables that will connect the first phases of the world’s largest offshore wind farm to the UK’s National Grid have now been installed.
Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK is delivering the land-based infrastructure for the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which will connect to the National Grid near Beverley, East Riding. There are also a number of UK-based specialists supporting the Jones Bros team with the cable installation work.
The North Wales-headquartered company is responsible for installing 80 miles of underground cabling in underground ducts on land in East Riding of Yorkshire from the landfall site at Ulrome, to the onshore convertor station near Beverley.
With wetter weather now closing in, much of the site is entering a winter shutdown in order to preserve the quality of the soil. However, some drilling work will continue into the new year under the A1079 north of Woodmansey, and at the Creyke Beck Substation, with the tier one contractor planning to complete this by Spring 2022.
Onshore works manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Oliver Flattery, said:
“Great progress has been made over the last few years to prepare the land-based infrastructure for the first two phases of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
“We remain committed to operating safely, sustainably and respectfully as we continue our drilling work in East Riding of Yorkshire, and as duct and cable installation work picks up again in the Spring.”
James Lockwood, project manager for Jones Bros, said:
“We have made excellent progress while the weather has been with us, and as such have installed a significant amount of cable.
“The cable itself runs across two routes: a DC route which goes from the connection point with offshore cables to the converter station, and a shorter AC route, which then runs from the converter station to National Grid infrastructure.
“Additionally, we have been able to start some works restoring parts of the site, a process which includes sowing a mix of specially selected cover crops that will help maintain the nutrient levels in the soil in preparation of the final reinstatements work due to carried out next year.
“Once better weather returns in the spring, we’ll be back underway with high voltage duct and cable installation, working towards a final site handover in June 2023.”
The team has also constructed 28 of the project’s 74 joint bays, which will form part of the infrastructure for the connection between offshore power cables and the mains grid.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is being 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.
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 regulatory approvals.
ENDS
2nd December 2021 in Construction, Press releases, Project news, Uncategorised
Joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor have reached financial close on Dogger Bank Wind Farm C, the third phase of what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when complete in March 2026.
SSE Renewables and Equinor are already constructing the first two phases of the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm with Eni, joint venture partner on phases A and B of the world-leading offshore wind project to be installed off the north east coast of England. Now, with financial close being reached on the project’s third phase, Dogger Bank Wind Farm has passed the last important milestone ahead of its construction delivery programme.
Total investment in Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be around £9 billion, of which around £3 billion is for phase C including offshore transmission capex in the range of £900-1000m.
Dogger Bank C has a capacity of 1,200MW and will generate around 6TWh. In total, Dogger Bank will produce enough clean, renewable electricity to supply 5% of the UK’s demand, equivalent to powering six million UK homes.
Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). On 2 November 2021 SSE and Equinor announced the sell down of a combined 20% share in Dogger Bank C to Eni (10% each) for a total consideration of £140m. The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2022, subject to regulatory and lenders approvals and customary purchase price adjustments. Eni will enter the asset effective from completion of the sell down transaction. Once the transaction is complete, the new overall shareholding in Dogger Bank C will be SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). Extended partner alignment will enable further synergies across, both in the construction and operations phase of the Dogger Bank wind farm.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is pioneering new technology and breaking world records in its delivery including green financing records. Financial close on Dogger Bank C has been reached through the financing support of a group of lenders comprising 28 banks and three export credit agencies (ECAs). Taken in aggregate with the financing last year of the A and B phases of the Dogger Bank project, reaching Financial Close on all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm is the largest offshore wind project financing to date globally.
Alistair Phillips-Davies, SSE Chief Executive, said: “It is a fantastic achievement to be reaching financial close on the third phase of the world’s largest offshore wind project, just weeks after COP26 concluded in Glasgow and today marks an important early milestone in the delivery of our own Net Zero Acceleration Programme. Our plans will enable delivery of over 25% of UK’s 2030 40GW offshore wind target, whilst also expanding overseas, delivering over 20% of upcoming UK electricity networks investment and deploying the critical flexibility technologies to provide security of supply.
“Construction is well underway on the first two phases of Dogger Bank with work on the third phase already progressing and we look forward to this ramping up in the New Year. As well as providing clean, green power, Dogger Bank is enabling the planned GE blade manufacturing plant in Teesside and a huge number of direct and indirect jobs.”
Pål Eitrheim, Equinor EVP of New Energy Solutions, said: “Reaching financial close on the third phase of Dogger Bank is a significant milestone as it demonstrates that we are on track with developing what will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The extensive interest from lenders underpins the attractiveness of UK offshore wind assets and the confidence in SSE and Equinor as developers. The level of interest achieved reflects the quality of the project and enables strong return on equity. As the wind farm’s future operator, we will leverage our offshore execution capability and continue to deliver value for years to come.”
Dogger Bank C is being project financed with gearing of c.70% for the generation assets. Gearing on the transmission facilities is set at 90% of the forecast OFTO sale proceeds, in line with standard market practice in the sector. Total senior debt facilities is around £2.5 billion plus ancillary facilities of around £435 million.
With the strong interest from lenders, Dogger Bank C was able to secure competitive terms, despite continued impact from the coronavirus pandemic on the macroeconomic environment. The final group of lenders includes experienced lenders, many of which are relationship lenders of both SSE and Equinor. The majority of lenders are the same as for the financing of Dogger Bank A and B, reached in November 2020. A list of Dogger Bank C lenders, ECA and Advisors is available to download here.
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.
About Dogger Bank Wind Farm
Dogger Bank Wind Farm was awarded exclusive development rights in 2010 by The Crown Estate as part of its third seabed licensing round. The project secured planning consent in 2015. In September 2019, Dogger Bank Wind Farm secured the following 15-year contracts with the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) through the UK Government’s Contract for Difference (CfD) auction:
- Dogger Bank A (1,200MW) with a strike price of £39.65/MWh (in 2012 prices, CPI-indexed) for delivery in 2023/24.
- Dogger Bank B and C (1,200MW each) with strike prices of £41.61/MWh (in 2012 prices, CPI-indexed) for delivery in 2024/25.
Onshore cable installation civils works for Dogger Bank C will start in Q1 2022; construction of the onshore convertor station will commence in Q2 2022. Offshore export cable installation will commence in Q1 2024; Offshore platform installation will commence in Q2, 2024; foundation installation will commence in Q3, 2024; Turbine installation will commence in Q2, 2025. First power is anticipated in Q3, 2025 and full power in Q1, 2026.
Onshore construction is currently underway for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B, with offshore construction on Dogger Bank A due to begin in Q2 2022. First power is expected in Summer 2023 and Summer 2024 for Dogger Bank A and B, respectively, with commercial operations to follow around six months later.
