Dogger Bank Wind Farm and Jan De Nul Group announce the signing of the final contract for the transport and installation of the GE Haliade-X offshore wind turbines at Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B, 130 km off the Yorkshire coast, starting in 2023. Turbine delivery and installation at the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be the first assignment for the world’s largest Offshore Jack-Up Installation Vessel owned by Jan De Nul Group, the Voltaire, Jan De Nul said in its release.
The 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is being delivered in the North Sea in three 1.2GW phases, is set to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when complete and is a joint venture between SSE Renewables and Equinor.
When complete, Dogger Bank will generate enough energy to power over 4.5 million homes every year – around 5% of the UK’s electricity needs.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm secured 3.6 GW of offshore wind contracts in the UK Government’s 2019 contracts for difference auctions. Record low prices were awarded for the three projects making up Dogger Bank Wind Farm: Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C. Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B are now moving towards final investment decision, expected by the end of 2020. SSE Renewables is leading the development and construction phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm and Equinor will lead on operations for its lifetime of at least 25 years, creating around 200 jobs in the North East.
Steve Wilson, Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s Project Director at SSE Renewables: “We’re very pleased to have signed the final contract with industry leader Jan De Nul Group to transport and install the turbines for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B. Jan De Nul has a proven track record of transporting and installing new generation offshore wind turbines at scale and its state-of-the-art Voltaire vessel will be the largest and ultra-clean jack up vessel ever seen in the industry when operational. This contract further demonstrates the industry-leading status of Dogger Bank Wind Farm and the innovative supply chain partners such as Jan De Nul that are delivering the project.”
Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor: “Dogger Bank is a record-breaking project, leading the way in terms of technology and scale. We are so pleased to have secured the Voltaire vessel for this project, not only is it the largest of its kind, but also the first Ultra-Low Emission jack-up vessel, which is truly pioneering. Innovation across all levels of the supply chain has enabled offshore wind projects to grow in size whilst reducing costs, and this has been a large factor in the growing success of offshore wind.”
Philippe Hutse, Director Offshore Division at Jan De Nul Group: “We are delighted to have signed the first contract for our new generation jack-up vessel Voltaire and to work together with industry leaders SSE Renewables and Equinor. When taking the decision to build this exciting vessel we had exactly the type of project in mind like Dogger Bank Wind Farm in terms of scale and characteristics of the offshore sites and the turbines. We are proud to contribute to the worldwide transition to renewable energies by installing the offshore wind turbines at Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B in the most efficient and clean manner possible.”
About the Voltaire
This vessel, currently under construction, will have a lifting capacity of over 3,000 tonnes and will enter into service in 2022.
She is named after the pioneering European Enlightenment philosopher and is fitted with a highly advanced exhaust filtering system by means of a Selective Catalytic Reduction system and a Diesel Particulate Filter, making it the very first seagoing installation vessel of its kind to be an Ultra-Low Emission vessel (ULEv).
About Dogger Bank Wind Farms
· A 50:50 joint venture between Equinor and SSE Renewables.
· Final investment decision on Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B is expected in late 2020 with FID for Dogger Bank C expected in 2021.
· Consent was granted in 2015.
· Located in the North Sea, with each phase more than 130km from the Yorkshire Coast.
· Each phase of the project (Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C) will have an installed capacity of 1.2GW and will be able to power 1.5 million homes. Together, they can provide approximately 5% of the UK’s estimated electricity generation.
· The first phase, Dogger Bank A, is expected to be operational in 2023.
· The wind turbines will be installed on monopile foundations. Preferred supplier for foundation fabrication will be announced in 2020.
· The project will be the first in the UK to use a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission system due to long distance to grid connection point.
About SSE Renewables
SSE Renewables is a leading developer, owner and operator of renewable energy across the UK and Ireland, with a portfolio of around 4GW of onshore wind, offshore wind and hydro. Part of the FTSE-listed SSE plc, its strategy is to drive the transition to a net zero future through the world class development, construction and operation of renewable energy assets.
SSE Renewables owns nearly 2GW of operational onshore wind capacity with over 1GW under development. Its 1,459MW hydro portfolio includes 300MW of pumped storage and 750MW of flexible hydro. Its operational offshore wind portfolio consists of 580MW across three offshore sites, two of which it operates on behalf of its joint venture partners. SSE Renewables has the largest offshore wind development pipeline in the UK and Ireland at over 6GW.
About Equinor in the UK
Equinor has been operating in the UK for over 35 years. Headquartered in Norway, the company employs 22,000 people globally, and over 650 in the UK. As a broad energy company, Equinor is committed to long term value creation in a low carbon future, and targeting carbon neutral operations globally by 2030.
Equinor is the UK’s leading energy provider and supports the UK economy by investing billions in crucial energy infrastructure, working with over 700 suppliers across the country. Its energy supplies from Norway meet more than one quarter of the UK’s demand for natural gas and around one fifth of its demand for oil, both produced with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry. It operates the Mariner oil field, one of the largest and most digitally advanced offshore investments in the UK over the last decade, and is progressing Rosebank, the largest undeveloped field in the UK.
Both projects support hundreds of jobs and economic activity in Scotland. Equinor also operates two offshore wind farms off the East Coast of England, Dudgeon and Sheringham Shoal. It is a pioneer in floating wind technology with Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating wind farm off the coast of Peterhead, which is partnered with Batwind, the world’s first battery for offshore wind. And with its partner SSE Renewables, Equinor is building the largest offshore wind farm in the world, Dogger Bank, off the North East coast of England. It is also a leader in both carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen, and is developing a number of projects in Europe, including in the Humber and Teesside regions of North East England.