Dogger Bank Wind Farm

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is an offshore wind farm being developed in three phases — Dogger Bank A, B and C — located between 130km and 190km from the North East coast of England at their nearest points. Collectively the phases are intended to become the world's largest offshore wind farm. Each phase has an installed generation capacity of 1.2GW, representing a multi-billion pound investment; combined they will have an installed capacity of 3.6GW and be capable of powering around 6 million homes annually. The project uses one of the world's most powerful turbines and one of the largest installation vessels to provide the UK's largest single source of renewable energy. The wind farm is a joint venture partnership between SSE (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). SSE is leading on the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, and Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion and during its expected operational life of around 35 years. The project is structured through project companies such as Doggerbank Offshore Wind Farm Project 1 Projco Limited, the entity associated with the first phase. The site takes its name from Dogger Bank, an isolated sandbank within the central to southern North Sea spanning UK, German, Danish and Dutch waters. The area was once a land mass connecting the UK to mainland Europe, known as Doggerland, before being covered by water between 8000 and 5500 years ago. The Dogger Bank Offshore Development Zone, located between 125 and 290km off the east coast of Yorkshire, extends over approximately 8660km², with water depths ranging from 18m to 63m. Beyond generation, the project frames itself around community benefit. The developers have committed to investing £25 million during the operational lifespan of the wind farm, working with education providers to support skills for the future of green energy, and had already invested £1 million during the construction phase. Programmes include STEM education and careers activity, a scholarship programme providing 30 further education scholarships per year to local students, and an Operators Fund providing 75 grants per year of up to £1,000 to local community groups, focused on coastal communities in East Riding of Yorkshire, South Tyneside, and Redcar and Cleveland.

The Dogger Bank story begins with the UK's offshore wind licensing process. In 2008, the Crown Estate opened its third licence round for offshore wind, which included the Dogger Bank Zone, located between 125 and 290km off the east coast of Yorkshire. The zone extended over approximately 8660km² and was the largest zone in that licence round; with water depths ranging from 18 to 63 metres, it was also one of the shallowest. A consortium called Forewind — a partnership between SSE, Equinor, Statkraft and innogy — identified four project areas within the zone to take to development consent, each with up to 1.2GW of generation capacity. At the time, the projects were named Creyke Beck A, Creyke Beck B, Teesside A and Teesside B. During 2015, after around five years of careful assessment, development and engagement, all four project areas received planning consent from the UK Government. At the beginning of 2017, Equinor (then Statoil) increased its share from Statkraft, and in August 2017 new ownership arrangements were confirmed: SSE and Equinor would progress the Creyke Beck A, Creyke Beck B and Teesside A projects under the new name of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, with each partner having 50% ownership and the projects being built in three phases. All three phases were successful in the UK Government's 2019 Contract for Difference (CfD) auction. To recognise their link to the historic Doggerland area, the three phases were renamed Dogger Bank A (formerly Creyke Beck A), Dogger Bank B (formerly Creyke Beck B) and Dogger Bank C (formerly Teesside A). Ownership continued to evolve. In February 2021, Eni Plenitude acquired a 20% ownership of the Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B phases, with SSE Renewables and Equinor each retaining a 40% share. In February 2022, Eni Plenitude acquired a 20% ownership of Dogger Bank C, with SSE Renewables and Equinor maintaining their positions. The project's current partnership structure is described as SSE (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%), with SSE leading development and construction and Equinor set to operate the wind farm on completion over an expected operational life of around 35 years. Dogger Bank A is located around 131km from shore at its closest point and has a development area of around 515km²; upon completion it will have an installed generation capacity of 1.2GW. Dogger Bank B, the largest of the project phases with a development area of around 599km², is also around 131km from shore at its closest point and will likewise have an installed generation capacity of 1.2GW. Dogger Bank A and B, with a combined generation capacity of 2.4GW, will connect into the existing Creyke Beck substation near Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire; the subsea export cables will make landfall to the north of Ulrome, and around 30km of underground cables will take the electricity to two converter stations near Cottingham before passing through the adjacent Creyke Beck substation onto the National Grid. Dogger Bank C connects via the Teesside converter station. Collectively the three phases will have an installed capacity of 3.6GW and will be capable of powering around 6 million homes annually, making Dogger Bank the world's largest offshore wind farm. The project uses one of the world's most powerful turbines — GE's Haliade-X, a single rotation of which can power a UK household for two days — and one of the largest installation vessels.

• 2022

  Eni Plenitude acquired 20% ownership of Dogger Bank C.

• 2021

  Eni Plenitude acquired 20% ownership of Dogger Bank A and B; SSE Renewables and Equinor each retained 40%.

• 2019

  All three phases were successful in the UK Government's Contract for Difference (CfD) auction.

• 2017

  Equinor increased its share from Statkraft; SSE and Equinor confirmed 50/50 ownership and renamed the projects Dogger Bank Wind Farm, built in three phases.

• 2015

  All four project areas (Creyke Beck A, Creyke Beck B, Teesside A, Teesside B) received planning consent from the UK Government.

• 2008

  The Crown Estate opened its third offshore wind licence round, including the Dogger Bank Zone.

World-leading offshore wind farm and the UK's largest single source of renewable energy, developed as a multi-billion pound joint venture.

• Dogger Bank A

  First phase, around 131km from shore at its closest point, development area around 515km², installed generation capacity of 1.2GW.

• Dogger Bank B

  Largest phase by development area (around 599km²), around 131km from shore at its closest point, installed generation capacity of 1.2GW.

• Dogger Bank C

  Third phase, connecting via the Teesside converter station, installed generation capacity of 1.2GW.

1. 1The World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm - Dogger Bank Wind Farmdoggerbank.com
2. 2Our History - Dogger Bank Wind Farmdoggerbank.com
3. 3About The Dogger Bank Wind Farm Projects - Dogger Bank Wind Farmdoggerbank.com
4. 4Dogger Bank in the community - Dogger Bank Wind Farmdoggerbank.com
5. 5DOGGERBANK OFFSHORE WIND FARM PROJECT 1 PROJCO LIMITEDwikidata.org