This news is classified in: Traditional Energy Sustainable Energy Wind
May 13, 2020
Equinor and SSE Renewables, the two companies behind the world’s biggest offshore wind farm Dogger Bank, have today announced plans to build a new Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Base at the Port of Tyne.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a 50:50 joint venture (JV) between Equinor and SSE Renewables.
Construction of the wind farm, led by SSE Renewables, began in January 2020 and as operator for the operations phase, Equinor will construct this new O&M base, and operate the wind farm for its expected life of more than 25 years.
By Water Depths (Deepwater and Ultra-deepwater), By Region, By Competition, 2019-2029F
Download free sample pagesThe overall wind farm comprises three 1.2GW phases, with each phase located more than 130km from the North East coast of England. When fully operational it will be able to provide enough renewable electricity for over 4.5 million UK homes.
The new multi-million pound facility, which includes both office space and a warehouse, will be the onshore base for Equinor’s teams ensuring the efficient operation of the wind farm. The flagship project is expected to generate over 200 direct jobs in the region, as well as opportunities for companies at all levels of the supply chain. The Dogger Bank Wind Farm is estimated to trigger a total capital investment of approximately GBP 9 billion between 2020 and 2026.
Secretary of State for Business, Alok Sharma commented: “This new facility is fantastic news for Tyneside and the North East of England. Renewable energy is one of the UK’s great success stories, providing over a third of our electricity and thousands of jobs.
“Projects like Dogger Bank will be a key part of ensuring a green and resilient economic recovery as well as reaching our target of net zero emissions by 2050.”
Stephen Bull, Senior Vice President for Equinor’s North Sea New Energy Solutions, and Chair of Renewable UK, said: “The UK government has legislated to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Major scale renewable energy projects like Dogger Bank ensures Britain’s leadership as the #1 offshore wind nation. Moreover, the project brings new investment to the UK, at a challenging time for us all, and secures over 200 jobs in the region as well as new opportunities in a future-fit growth sector.
