Offshore construction work has started at the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm with the installation of the first length of HVDC export cable off the coast of Yorkshire, England.
NKT is leading the work to install the 1.2GW Dogger Bank A nearshore cable, that will connect the first phase of the wind farm more than 130km off the coast to a landfall point at Ulrome in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Aberdeenshire-based ACE Winches and LMR Drilling UK of Birkenhead are among the companies supporting NKT with the work.
The campaign will continue during 2022, with work starting on the export cables for the 1.2GW Dogger Bank B in East Riding, and 1.2GW Dogger Bank C on Teesside, in the consecutive years.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm project director Steve Wilson, said: “This is an exciting time for everyone involved in this project as we celebrate installing the first nearshore HVDC export cable safely and on-time.
“With the first foundations due to be installed later this year and the first turbines scheduled for installation in 2023, we’re now well on our way to achieving first power from this unrivalled global renewable energy asset.
“I’d like to extend my thanks to all those who’ve worked incredibly hard to reach this major offshore milestone.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built in three phases known as A, B and C. The project is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni Plenitude (20%).
NKT will supply and install the onshore and offshore HVDC cable for all three phases of the project.
The company will use its cable-laying vessel NKT Victoria to install the 320kV DC subsea cable system.
NKT head of project execution Darren Fennell said: “As a long term high-voltage DC technology partner to Equinor, Eni Plenitude and SSE Renewables, NKT is excited to have reached the installation phase of the Dogger Bank A near shore cables.
“The overall project is key for the continued European focus on increasing the use of renewable energy sources and we look forward to successfully completing the cable installations.”
LMR Drilling managing director Jez Seamans said: “It has been a fantastic project to be involved in, with the HDD landfalls forming a small but crucial part of the overall project linking the offshore power generating system with the onshore grid.
“It is great to see the first of the cables being installed into these landfall ducts, another step in the ongoing decarbonisation of UK power.”