| Work Detail |
Offshore construction works have started on Dogger Bank A, the first of the three 1.2 GW phases of the 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is the world’s largest offshore wind farm currently under construction. The works are beginning with a geophysical pre-lay survey along the Dogger Bank A export cable corridor in the Southern North Sea offshore the UK.
The survey vessel, Geo Ranger, will conduct the survey that includes the acquisition of high-resolution, hull-mounted Multi-Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) data and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) visual inspections of pipeline crossings and targets of potential interest, between March and 15 April.
These works follow the joint high voltage direct current (HVDC) onshore civil project announced last month to link Dogger Bank C and Sofia windfarms. Developed by J. Murphy & Sons, the high voltage wires from the two wind farms will run 195km from the North Sea and come ashore close to Redcar on Teesside.
Both Dogger Bank C and Sofia wind farms’ converter stations are being constructed on a site close to Lazenby and the developers are partnering along the shared onshore cable route that stretches 7km from where the cables come ashore to the new converter stations.
An additional 2km cable of high voltage alternate current (HVAC) will be installed from each of the stations to the current National Grid substation at Lackenby, where the current will join the national grid. Murphy’s contract is to position onshore cable ducts that lead the lines from the landfall site to the HDVC onshore converter stations.
Dogger Bank C and Sofia windfarms HVDC onshore civil project scope
The Dogger Bank C and Sofia windfarms HVDC onshore civil project comprise detailed engineering and design for the works, ecological management, civil infrastructure installation, and engineering and installation of crossings. The main civil work will commence in March, progressing until the end of 2024.
Murphy has devoted itself to working with local colleges to hire local talent and suppliers for resources. Speaking on the project the managing director at Murphy energy division Jon Downs said that they are happy to be selected as the delivery partner for High Voltage Cable for two of the country’s most significant strategic renewable energy schemes.
“At Murphy Energy, we are devoted to assisting our customers to speed up the clean energy transformation on our journey to Net Zero and to create 40GW by 2030. The Dogger Bank C and Sofia windfarms HVDC onshore civil project is an important element of this journey and we are happy to be playing such a significant role in their delivery,” concluded the MD.
Project overview
Dogger Bank Wind Farm comprises a group of offshore wind farms being constructed 125 to 290 kilometers in the North Sea, off the east coast of Yorkshire, England. The farm was developed by the Forewind consortium, with three phases – Creyke Beck A and B being the first phase, the second as Teesside A and B, and the third phase being Teesside C and D.
It was anticipated that the Dogger Bank project would comprise four offshore wind farms, with each having a capacity of up to 1.2 GW, generating a combined capacity of 4.8 GW.
Dogger Bank A and B
This was the first phase also referred to as Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and B. The project plan called for two offshore wind farms with power up to 1.2 GW and a total installed capacity of around 2.4 GW. They would link at Yorkshire, East Riding with the former Creyke Beck substation in Cottingham. Both sites lie 131 kilometers from the coast of East Yorkshire. Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A will have an area of 515 square kilometers while Dogger Bank Creyke Beck B will comprise an area of 599 square kilometers.
Dogger Bank Teesside A & B (Dogger Bank C and Sofia Offshore Wind Farm)
Dogger Bank Teesside A & B project comprises two wind farms, each creating up to 1.2 GW of electricity. Dogger Bank Teesside A is situated 196 kilometers from the shore and will cover approximately 560 square kilometers. Dogger Bank Teesside B is located 165 kilometers from the shore covering an area of 593 square kilometers. Planning consent was approved for 400 turbines on 5 August 2015.
In 2017 SSE and Equinor’s own Dogger Bank Teesside A was renamed Dogger Bank C, while Dogger Bank Teesside B was possessed by Innogy who renamed it Sofia Offshore Wind Farm. The farm will use 100 Siemens Gamesa 14MW turbines. Offshore construction is planned to commence in 2023 with the completion of the overall scheme set in 2026.
Dogger Bank C will deploy the GE Haliade 14 MW turbines with the Installation set to commence in 2025 and the overall Dogger Bank C project to be complete in 2026.
Dogger Bank Teesside C & D
This second phase (C and D) was set to have two wind farms, with each creating up to 1.2 GW of power. Earlier expected was that planning consent would be determined later in 2017. The final phase was however scrapped in August 2015 by Forewind and gave the remaining area of the Dogger Bank development zone back to the Crown Estate.
German, Dutch, and Danish electrical grid specialists are cooperating in a scheme to develop a North Sea Wind Power Hub complex on the artificial islands to be built on Dogger Bank being part of a European system for sustainable electricity. The power hub is set to link the three national power together and with the Dogger Bank Wind Farm. |
