The jack-up vessel Voltaire is said to be in position to install the first offshore wind turbine at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm. The move signals the start of construction of the sustainable power project, which is expected to feature a total of 277 turbines on completion.
The Voltaire is billed as the largest vessel of its kind in the world, with a lifting capacity of 3,200t. It has been commissioned to operate on all phases of Dogger Bank, installing GE Renewable Energy’s 13MW Haliade-X turbines approximately 128km from the UK’s Yorkshire coast, a report noted.
Once complete in 2026, Dogger Bank (phases A, B and C) will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, with an installed capacity of 3.6GW. The turbines will occupy an area close to the size of Greater London, which is said to make Dogger Bank more than twice the size of the next largest offshore wind farm. The project will provide electricity for up to six million homes.
The project is a collaboration between UK-based developer SSE Renewables and Equinor and Vårgrønn, joint venture partners from Norway. According to the report, SSE Renewables will oversee the development and construction of the project, with Equinor responsible for the farm’s operation over its anticipated 35-year operational lifespan.
The project is expected to generate over 2,000 job opportunities, primarily in the North East of England.
The challenging conditions in the North Sea have led to the introduction of a number of firsts for the project, including the use of an unmanned offshore High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) substation platform.
SSE’s CEO, Alistair Phillips-Davies said, “Dogger Bank is one of the biggest and most complex engineering and infrastructure projects anywhere in the world. Our progress here with our JV 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.”
“It is action, not ambition, that will secure our energy future and this project shows action on a massive scale. But we will need many more Dogger Banks to achieve our goals and we look forward to working with government to bring forward more projects at pace,” he added.
