In 2019, Dogger Bank Wind Farm awarded Aibel the contract for two converter platforms for the first two phases of the project, Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B. Announced today, Aibel has also been awarded the EPC contract for the third phase of the same development.
The contract is subject to financial close on Dogger Bank C, which is currently forecast for Q4 this year.
The world’s largest offshore wind farm
The three phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm will have a combined capacity of 3.6 GW, making Dogger Bank the largest offshore wind farm in the world, and are expected to produce enough energy to power the equivalent of 6 million UK homes.
In May 2019, Aibel was awarded a similar contract for the offshore wind project DolWin5 from the German grid operator TenneT. Projects within renewable energy are becoming an increasingly larger part of Aibel’s project portfolio.
“With this award, we once again confirm our position as a preferred supplier in the European offshore wind segment and strengthen our role in the ongoing energy industry transformation,” says Aibel’s President and CEO, Mads Andersen.
A competitive concept
"Together with our partner Hitachi ABB Power Grids, our skilled engineers have developed integrated solutions and established an efficient supply chain for our deliveries. We are proud to see that our concept wins in a very competitive environment,” says Executive Vice President for Field development and Offshore wind in Aibel, Nils Arne Hatleskog.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm has been developed as a joint venture between SSE Renewables and Equinor (50:50), and ENI will take a 20% stake in phases A and B subject to regulatory and lender approvals of Eni’s agreement to enter the joint venture which are due during Q1 2021.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, Steve Wilson, said: “Confirmation of our collaboration with Hitachi ABB Power Grids and Aibel on all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm is another important milestone for our world-leading development. Working together in an integrated way will enable us to achieve optimum efficiency during the construction work, while the use of market-leading technology will ensure efficient and reliable transmission of renewable energy for 6 million UK households when the windfarm becomes operational.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm project is headed from Aibel in Haugesund, while the platform’s topsides are under construction at Aibel's yard in Thailand. The Dogger Bank A platform is expected to arrive in Haugesund in the first half of 2022, where it will be outfitted with Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ latest generation HVDC converter technology, including final completion and commissioning. It will be ready for sail away to the Dogger Bank field in 2023, and final completion later that year. The delivery of Dogger Bank B is scheduled for 2024, while Dogger Bank C is scheduled for 2025.
Read more about the project here: www.doggerbank.com
About Dogger Bank Wind Farm
• Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when completed in 2026.
• It is being built in three 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%) subject to regulatory and lender approvals of Eni’s agreement to enter the joint venture which are due in early 2021.
• Dogger Bank C is a 50:50 joint venture between SSE Renewables and Equinor.
• SSE Renewables is lead operator for the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will be lead operator of the wind farm for the duration of the wind farm’s operational phase
• Financial Close on Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B was reached in November 2020. Financial Close for Dogger Bank C is expected in late 2021.
• Consent for Dogger Bank Wind Farm was granted in 2015.
• Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located in the North Sea, with each phase more than 130km from the Yorkshire Coast.
• Onshore construction began in 2020 and 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 6 months later.
• Turbine installation for Dogger Bank C will begin in 2025.
• A total of 320 skilled jobs for the North East of England associated with the development and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm have been announced so far.
• This includes 120 skilled jobs at marshalling harbour Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool during construction, and 200 skilled jobs to be based offshore and at the Port of Tyne for Operations and Maintenance of the wind farm once operational.
• Dogger Bank A and B has confirmed GE’s 13MW Haliade-X as the turbine powering the first two phases of the project. As the first order for the 13MW Haliade-X, installation at Dogger Bank A will be the first time the turbine is installed in the world.
• Dogger Bank C will install GE’s upscaled 14MW Haliade-X turbine.
• One rotation of the Haliade-X turbine blades can power one UK home for more than two days.
• The wind turbines will be installed on monopile foundations.
• The project will be the first High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) connected wind farm in the UK due to its distance from shore.
Published 17 February 2021
