World's largest wind farm gets first turbine
Installation of the first turbine at what will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm is due to begin this weekend.
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Work began at the Dogger Bank wind farm in the North Sea, 80 miles off the Yorkshire Coast, last summer and the first, 260-metre high turbine was was on its way by sea from NE England on Thursday.When installation of the total of 277 turbines is complete in three years' time, the 3.6GW installed capacity at the farm - which will cover an area almost as large as Greater London - will be capable of supplying energy to the equivalent of six million homes.On a visit to the project's base at Able Seaton Port, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: "I am pleased to be here in Hartlepool today with (electricity company) SSE as we install the first wind turbine at the new Dogger Bank offshore wind farm."This project will generate cheap, clean energy to power millions of homes and provide the UK with greater energy independence in the face of Putin's energy ransom."Disruption to global energy supplies is one of the key risks we've highlighted in our new National Risk Register and working with SSE and its partners, we are making Britain more secure."Alistair Phillips-Davies, chief executive of SSE, described the Dogger Bank development as one of the biggest and most complex engineering and infrastructure projects anywhere in the world.“Our progress here with our joint venture partners Equinor and Vårgrønn proves that offshore wind projects of this size are now mainstream and will help turbocharge the transition to the cheaper, cleaner and more secure energy system we all want to see,” he said.
Equinor’s EVP for renewables, Pål Eitrheim, Equinor vice-president for renewables, said the installation of the first turbine was "a testament to the determination of the UK government, the project partners, and the supply chain to deliver a world-class offshore wind project" for the UK."To reach our net zero goals, we will need even more of this collaboration," he said. “We’re delighted to soon begin operating Dogger Bank from our new O&M base at the Port of Tyne, which will host 400 jobs over the 35-year lifetime of the wind farm."Vårgrønn CEO Olav Hetland said that project demonstrated that extensive collaboration was key to developing offshore wind farms that "provide power at scale while driving innovation".He added: “Getting to this milestone has relied on the efforts of a huge number of local and international suppliers, and together we have now moved the boundaries of what is possible in offshore wind.”The Dogger Bank project is credited with creating more than 2,000 jobs, mainly in NE England, according to SSE.The company added: " Construction on this scale in the challenging conditions of the North Sea is unprecedented and the project has delivered a number of world-firsts that will significantly accelerate the speed at which future offshore projects can be developed."These include deployment of new 13MW and 14MW turbine technology, the world’s first unmanned offshore High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) substation platform, and first use of HVDC technology on a UK wind farm."The firm said that, when complete, the project's installed capacity of 3.6GW of renewable electricity, would be more than two and a half times the size of the next largest offshore wind farm.
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Work began at the Dogger Bank wind farm in the North Sea, 80 miles off the Yorkshire Coast, last summer and the first, 260-metre high turbine was was on its way by sea from NE England on Thursday.When installation of the total of 277 turbines is complete in three years' time, the 3.6GW installed capacity at the farm - which will cover an area almost as large as Greater London - will be capable of supplying energy to the equivalent of six million homes.On a visit to the project's base at Able Seaton Port, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: "I am pleased to be here in Hartlepool today with (electricity company) SSE as we install the first wind turbine at the new Dogger Bank offshore wind farm."This project will generate cheap, clean energy to power millions of homes and provide the UK with greater energy independence in the face of Putin's energy ransom."Disruption to global energy supplies is one of the key risks we've highlighted in our new National Risk Register and working with SSE and its partners, we are making Britain more secure."Alistair Phillips-Davies, chief executive of SSE, described the Dogger Bank development as one of the biggest and most complex engineering and infrastructure projects anywhere in the world.“Our progress here with our joint venture partners Equinor and Vårgrønn proves that offshore wind projects of this size are now mainstream and will help turbocharge the transition to the cheaper, cleaner and more secure energy system we all want to see,” he said.
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Equinor’s EVP for renewables, Pål Eitrheim, Equinor vice-president for renewables, said the installation of the first turbine was "a testament to the determination of the UK government, the project partners, and the supply chain to deliver a world-class offshore wind project" for the UK."To reach our net zero goals, we will need even more of this collaboration," he said. “We’re delighted to soon begin operating Dogger Bank from our new O&M base at the Port of Tyne, which will host 400 jobs over the 35-year lifetime of the wind farm."Vårgrønn CEO Olav Hetland said that project demonstrated that extensive collaboration was key to developing offshore wind farms that "provide power at scale while driving innovation".He added: “Getting to this milestone has relied on the efforts of a huge number of local and international suppliers, and together we have now moved the boundaries of what is possible in offshore wind.”The Dogger Bank project is credited with creating more than 2,000 jobs, mainly in NE England, according to SSE.The company added: " Construction on this scale in the challenging conditions of the North Sea is unprecedented and the project has delivered a number of world-firsts that will significantly accelerate the speed at which future offshore projects can be developed."These include deployment of new 13MW and 14MW turbine technology, the world’s first unmanned offshore High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) substation platform, and first use of HVDC technology on a UK wind farm."The firm said that, when complete, the project's installed capacity of 3.6GW of renewable electricity, would be more than two and a half times the size of the next largest offshore wind farm.
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