Renewable Energy

GE Vernova turbine delivers first power from North Sea Dogger Bank wind development

Oct. 10, 2023

The Dogger Bank wind farm in the southern UK North Sea has supplied its first power to Britain’s national grid.

When complete, Dogger Bank will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, according to Equinor.

Offshore staff

Jan De Nul Group's newest jackup installation vessel Voltaire recently installed its first offshore wind turbine at Dogger Bank.

STAVANGER, Norway — The Dogger Bank wind farm in the southern UK North Sea has supplied its first power to Britain’s national grid.

Startup followed installation of the initial GE Vernova Haliade-X 13-MW turbine by Jan de Nul’s new jackup vessel Voltaire at Dogger Bank A. It is also the first time this design of turbine, 260 m tall with 107-m long blades, has operated offshore anywhere, according to project partner Equinor.

Eventually the 3.6-GW development, under construction in three phases 130 km from the Yorkshire coast, will provide power from 277 turbines.

Power is now transmitted via Dogger Bank’s HVDC transmission system supplied by Hitachi Energy—another first-time installation for a UK wind farm—and from the world’s first offshore HVDC substation platform.

SSE Renewables is leading the development/construction phase for Dogger Bank A, B and C, with Equinor taking over as lead operator during the operational phase and through the project’s expected 35-year lifetime. Vårgrønn, a joint venture between Eni Plenitude and HitecVision, is the other partner.

SSE Renewables reported that first power has been achieved at UK’s Dogger Bank, as the first of 277 turbines were installed 130 km from UK coast.

Operations and maintenance will take place from the recently opened base at the Port of Tyne in northeast England.

National Grid connected Dogger Bank A to Britain’s electricity transmission network following reinforcement works to extend the Creyke Beck 400-kV substation in Yorkshire.

Dogger Bank B will plug into the same substation and Dogger Bank C into the Lackenby substation.

Recently National Grid upgraded the Killingholme substation in Lincolnshire to connect the Hornsea Two offshore wind farm in the same region to the grid.

10.10.2023