Dogger Bank Wind Farm celebrates full delivery of SOV fleet from North Star
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