J Murphy & Sons has been selected to design and deliver the HVDC export cable onshore civil works for both the 1400MW Sofia and 1200MW Dogger Bank C offshore wind projects.
Both projects are located on the Dogger Bank, more than 195 kilometres from the North East coast of England, with their export cables coming to shore in Teesside, between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea.
Sofia is 100% owned by RWE, and Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni.
Although they are owned by different companies, the developers are working jointly at the site of their adjacent converter stations and along the shared onshore cable route.
The projects’ offshore HVDC export cables will connect to onshore cables that will run 7 kilometres to a new converter station – one for each project – now under construction to the North East of Lazenby.
Each project will have a further 2 kilometres of HVAC cables to transport power to the existing National Grid substation at Lackenby, where it will enter the national grid.
Under the terms of this award, Murphy will work to install the onshore cable ducts which connect the landfall site in Redcar to the HVDC Onshore Converter station.
The company will also work with local colleges and suppliers to recruit local resources and talent.
The main scope of works include detailed engineering and design for the works, ecological management, civil infrastructure installation, and engineering and installation of crossings.
The main civils works will commence in March 2022 and run through until the end of 2024.
Once operational these two offshore wind projects will generate enough green power to supply all of the North East’s electricity needs every year.
The contract builds on Murphy’s proven track record, working on civils and cable install on projects such as the Triton Knoll, Hornsea Project One and Beatrice wind farms.
Murphy’s energy division managing director Jon Downs said: “We are delighted to be appointed as the High Voltage Cable Civils delivery partner for two of the country’s most important strategic renewable energy projects.
“As Murphy Energy, we are committed to helping our customers accelerate the clean energy transition on our journey towards Net Zero and to deliver 40GW by 2030.
“These projects are a key element of this journey and we are excited to be playing such a pivotal role in their delivery.”
Sofia project director Matthew Swanwick added: “The appointment of Murphy marks another significant milestone for the project and the start of the cable route civils works will signal a new and visible phase of onshore construction.
“We will build on RWE’s positive working relationship with Murphy and look forward to our ongoing cooperation with Dogger Bank C and to continued good relationships with our stakeholders and the local community.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm onshore work package manager for the third phase of the project, Stephen Reynolds, said: “We welcome Murphy and look forward to working with them, alongside Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, as we develop the onshore infrastructure for these significant renewable energy projects.”