12th March 2025 in Community News
The co-ordinator of our Dogger Bank Wind Farm-funded ‘Building Our Futures’ programme has been recognised at the Redcar and Cleveland Inspiring Women Awards.
Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency’s Jacqui Hutchinson, was a finalist in the Inspiring Others Category at the recent event, held to coincide with International Women’s Day 2025.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm started funding the primary STEM careers programme in Redcar and Cleveland in 2022, and Jacqui has been fundamental to the successful rollout of the programme to more than 4,000 schoolchildren from 36 schools.
Commenting on becoming a runner-up in the awards, Jacqui said:
“I was absolutely delighted to be nominated for this award by Rachel, on behalf of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
“It’s been the honour of my career to deliver the Building our Futures programme and to be shortlisted in such esteemed company as Katie Coates and Helen Bartram. My congratulation go to Katie Coates for her deserving win.”
Rachel Lawrence, Community Engagement Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm and award nominator, said:
“Jacqui is a thoroughly deserving finalist in this award category. She has been a superb ambassador for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers in Redcar and Cleveland, and the driving force behind this pioneering education programme.
“We know many young people in Redcar and Cleveland will have a brighter future because of the work Jacqui has done to unlock their future potential in the world of work.”
In June 2024, Dogger Bank Wind Farm announced additional funding of £25 million to support coastal communities across the North and North East of England, over its planned 35-year operational lifespan.
Dogger Bank will use this funding to support local communities through three key programmes: STEM education and careers programmes, the Dogger Bank scholarship programme, and community grants via the operators fund.
The new community fund builds on the £1 million community fund set up during the construction phase of Dogger Bank, which has already supported more than 36,000 young people across 204 schools, provided 62 university scholarships, and provided 87 grants to local community groups.
Find out more about this £25 million commitment from Dogger Bank Wind Farm here.
7th March 2025 in Community News
Representatives from Dogger Bank Wind Farm shared their career stories with more than 700 young people to mark National Careers Week 2025.
In a series of events across our key communities, representatives from the project talked to schoolchildren about the breadth of opportunities in net zero industries, and shared their personal experiences on the world’s largest offshore wind farm.
From careers fairs in Redcar and Cleveland to sustainability discussions in East Riding of Yorkshire, the team has helped young people to explore, discover and get excited about matching their skills and abilities with future career options.
A highlight of the week was a live Q&A with a wind turbine commissioning team on board a Dogger Bank Wind Farm vessel, currently deployed in the North Sea. More than 300 pupils from 6 Teesside schools took the opportunity to quiz the team about their work building the world’s largest offshore wind farm, and were surprised to learn about the variety of roles on a turbine commissioning vessel.
Rachel Lawrence, Community Engagement Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:
“We’ve had an incredible week answering probing questions about our work on this world-leading renewable energy project, and we’ve met some very promising future pioneers for our sector.
“It’s hugely important for young people to meet real life role models who work in offshore wind, to help shape their dreams and ambitions, as well as learn about the world around them.
“Connecting 12 Teesside schools with our offshore commissioning team through an interactive Q&A was a real highlight, and gave the children an ability to imagine what their working life could be like if they choose to pursue a career in offshore wind.
“Huge thanks to all the schools and organisations that invited us to share our stories, and to all the young people for their brilliant and thought-provoking questions.”
12th February 2025 in Community News
THE sea life-saving brainchild of a budding South Shields ecologist has been professionally designed and modelled, thanks to support from a business blown away by his idea.
Harris, 10, a student at Sea View Primary School, created the concept for “Hi Fish” – a solar-powered floating camera that roams the reefs of the world observing fish numbers and monitoring issues such as coral bleaching – for his entry to South Tyneside Council’s and Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s “Little Inventors” competition.
The youngster was thrilled to win the competition and this week visited Dogger Bank Wind Farm operations base, in Port of Tyne, to see his invention in all its glory, having been developed by contest supporter North Star, operator of the largest fleet of infrastructure support vessels in the North Sea.
Harris was not only presented with the newly created “Hi Fish” marine architect designs and 3D printed model, he and his father were treated to tour the Dogger Bank base and Grampian Derwent, one of the Dogger Bank service vessels.
South Tyneside Council and Dogger Bank Wind Farm have organised Little Inventors for three years, with Harris’ invention one of six potentially planet-saving inventions brought to life in various forms by businesses and creative experts in the coming months.
Working with borough schools, Little Inventors challenges Year 4 and 5 students to devise incredible, eco-friendly concepts powered by renewable energy to address the climate crisis.
The Council works closely with Dogger Bank to deliver bespoke STEM education and careers programmes, like Little Inventors, to raise awareness and aspirations of borough youngsters, particularly around opportunities within green energy and sustainability.
Harris’ “Hi Fish” invention, harnesses solar and wind energy to power a propeller on a small camera rig, allowing the equipment to travel the tidal flows of the reefs, logging fish species, any decline or rise in numbers, monitor ecological changes, take temperature checks and help address major environmental issues, such as coral bleaching, which can seriously impact on fragile marine eco-systems.
Describing Hi Fish, Harris said:
“It was interesting to learn about the things being done in our seas and oceans. Hi Fish is an environmentally friendly invention to help monitor coral reefs without needing batteries or diesel to power a lot of machinery.
“It’s important that when we sort out problems in the environment, we don’t make them worse or create other problems. New inventions made to help solve issues must be carbon-neutral and use renewable energy whenever possible.”
North Star was one of many local firms backing the Little Inventors Programme. Operations Director, Steve Myers, said:
“We were so impressed with Harris’ invention that we had to select it. It’s fantastic to see this competition inspire such innovative and exciting ideas, while supercharging the interest of youngsters in the offshore renewables sector.
“With so many career opportunities on our doorstep, getting youngsters excited about marine engineering is vital to help keep the positive momentum going in our industry.”
Cllr Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport for South Tyneside Council, said:
“Harris’ invention shows touches of genius and it’s great to see these bright young minds engaged to combat the climate crisis.
“Little Inventors inspires children and is a way to build interest in the STEM subjects that are the foundation stones for careers in engineering.
“Congratulations must go to Harris, for a fantastic innovation. I hope he enjoyed his visit to the Dogger Bank base and his spell in the captain’s chair of the Grampian Derwent.”
The Dogger Bank Community Fund and South Tyneside Council launched Little Inventors to increase understanding of science, technology, engineering and maths among young people and their parents, raising awareness of the opportunities presented by renewable energy.
Winning inventions can be viewed online: Powering the Future: South Tyneside and Beyond! : Little Inventors where people can also submit ideas for the latest Making Waves: Inventing for a Better Ocean challenge.
Kay Doragh, Dogger Bank Community Investment Manager, said:
“Little Inventors inspires bright young minds and helps the pupils taking part understand environmental issues and get excited about the potential careers on their doorstep.
“New ways of thinking and inventions like Harris’ will show how we tackle climate change. It’s great to welcome him and his dad to Dogger Bank Wind Farm, as we continue the green revolution from South Tyneside.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). 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.
In June 2024, Dogger Bank Wind Farm announced additional funding of £25 million to support coastal communities across the North and North East of England, over its planned 35-year operational lifespan.
For more information, visit: https://southtyneside.littleinventors.org/
3rd February 2025 in Project news, Supply Chain
North Star has officially named and handed over its latest service operations vessel (SOV), the Grampian Tweed, completing the company’s fleet of dedicated ships serving the Dogger Bank Wind Farm on long-term charter.
The Grampian Tweed is the fourth SOV introduced to support the Dogger Bank Wind Farm. This achievement builds on the strong foundation of collaboration, innovation, and shared expertise throughout North Star’s and Dogger Bank’s supply chain, with all four hybrid-powered ships designed to provide crucial logistical and safety support for the maintenance and operation of the wind farm.
“The naming of the Grampian Tweed is a proud moment for all of us across the business,” said Gitte Gard Talmo, CEO of North Star. “Our in-house teams have worked tirelessly to ensure that this SOV, alongside its sister vessels, meets the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. The early handover of all these ships not only reinforces our partnership with Equinor and SSE Renewables but also strengthening our role in the transition to a greener, more sustainable energy future.”
The Grampian Tweed’s naming ceremony, held at Associated British Ports (ABP) new Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility, was attended by representatives from North Star, Equinor, SSE Renewables, and local stakeholders.
Grampian Tweed service operations vessel
Emma Sayer, the Grampian Tweed’s godmother has been a valued member of North Star’s crewing team in Lowestoft for over 16 years. She played a key role in the naming ceremony which also featured a blessing from Rev. Peter Paine and speeches from Julian Walker, CCO & regional director of ABP, and Kamala Hajiyeva, VP & head of the Dogger Bank Development.
Kamala Hajiyeva, VP and head of Dogger Bank Wind Farm development said:
“With the arrival of the Grampian Tweed SOV, we celebrate the last of four vessels delivered to the project. The Grampian Tweed also provides a best-in-class working and living environment for our offshore wind technicians and team members, ensuring they can carry out essential maintenance safely and comfortably. The vessel’s advanced features will also provide essential services to the operations and maintenance of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm.”
Once complete, Dogger Bank will become the largest offshore wind farm in the world, with 3.6GW of generating capacity, enough to power up to six million homes annually. The addition of the Grampian Tweed to the fleet highlights the crucial role that North Star and its vessels play in supporting the continued development and success of the wind farm.
SSE Renewables Project Director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Olly Cass, said:
“Congratulations to the team at North Star for achieving another significant milestone for our pioneering project. Today’s ceremony takes place in the region where our hybrid-powered daughter craft were built, once again demonstrating the huge amount of UK skills and expertise involved in delivering and operating the world’s largest offshore wind farm.”
Over the past three years, North Star has invested £270m and placed 160 experienced seafarers to support its Dogger Bank tonnage and will recruit a further 160 seafarers for its expanding SOV fleet in the next three years to meet current contract charter commitments.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is proud to support the UK’s offshore wind supply chain and has created more than 2,000 UK jobs in relation to the construction and operation activities of the project.
Image caption: North Star’s Grampian Tweed Masters Michael Dodd and Juan A. Escribano flank North Star CEO Gitte Gard Talmo, ABP’s CCO and regional director Julian Walker, and Kamala Hajiyeva, VP and Head of Development for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm
9th January 2025 in Community News
- The operator fund community grants are available to community projects in South Tyneside, East Riding of Yorkshire, and Redcar and Cleveland.
- Dogger Bank Wind Farm provides £75,000 of funding to the operator fund each year.
- Each community grant will provide up to £1,000 of funding.
Community projects near our construction and operation bases can now apply for the latest round of funding from the Dogger Bank operator fund to support their activities.
The operator fund supports local community projects in East Riding of Yorkshire, Redcar and Cleveland, and South Tyneside – the locations of the wind farm’s grid connection points and the operations and maintenance base.
The operator fund provides a total of £75,000 of funding in grants of up to £1,000 for local community projects who have a constitution and deliver activities in Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside or East Riding of Yorkshire.
Community grants can be used to enhance quality of life for local residents; contribute to vibrant, healthy, successful and sustainable communities; and/or promote community spirit and encourage community activity.
Eligible community projects and local organisations can apply for grants up to the new amount of up to £1000, at https://doggerbank.com/about/community/.
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 Hannah Smiles from NOF. NOF is a not-for-profit business development organisation helping to make connections between national businesses in the energy sector. owns and operates Energi Coast, North East England’s Offshore Wind Cluster.
Kay Doragh, Dogger Bank Wind Farm Community Investment manager said:
“At Dogger Bank Wind Farm, we’re committed to supporting local communities and the fantastic ideas they have to improve life in their area. We’ve funded projects to help young people into employment to solar lights to make village events safer and more welcoming. I can’t wait to see the projects we’ll be supporting in 2025.”
Redcar-based Darkside Diving received a grant from Dogger Bank Wind Farm last year, to purchase a compressor.
Club member, Donna Russell, said:
“Darkside Diving @Redcar has had a very busy and successful first year, growing to 50 members and completing over 250 club dives. Welcoming new trainees to our sport and growing our instructor team. We would like to thank the Dogger Bank grant fund for helping us to achieve the goals of our first year. Without their kind donation we would not have been able to achieve so much in such a short time.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is under construction more than 130 km off the Yorkshire coast and will generate enough renewable energy to power six million UK homes once completed. A joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn, SSE Renewables is leading on Dogger Bank construction and delivery while Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion.
In June 2024, Dogger Bank Wind Farm announced additional funding of £25 million to support coastal communities across the North and North East of England, over its planned 35-year operational lifespan.
Dogger Bank will use this funding to support local communities through three key programmes: STEM education and careers programmes, the Dogger Bank scholarship programme, and community grants via the operators fund.
The new community fund builds on the £1 million community fund set up during the construction phase of Dogger Bank, which has already supported more than 36,000 young people across 204 schools, provided 62 university scholarships, and provided 87 grants to local community groups.
Find out more about this £25 million commitment from Dogger Bank Wind Farm here.
