Equinor to develop world’s largest wind farm project
Image of the Dudgeon offshore wind park outside the Norfolk coast (Source: Equinor)
The UK Government has awarded contracts to Norwegian state energy company, Equinor, and its Scottish partner SSE, to undertake three large offshore wind developments in the Dogger Bank region of the North Sea.
The 3.6 GW of installed capacity, equivalent to the power requirements of 4.5 million homes, will make it the world’s biggest offshore wind farm development. Development of the three Dogger Bank projects – Creyke Beck A, Creyke Beck B and Teesside A – has become viable as a result of continuing advances in technology, cost reductions and the increasing competitiveness of bottom-fixed offshore wind. The contracts offer a long-term fixed price for the first 15 years of operation.
Equinor CEO, Eldar Sætre, commented: “A full-scale development of Dogger Bank will constitute an industrial wind hub in the heart of the North Sea, playing a major role in the UK’s ambitions for offshore wind and supporting the net zero ambition. Excellent wind speeds, shallow waters and scale make Dogger Bank well-positioned to deliver low-cost renewable electricity to UK homes and businesses.” The Dogger Bank projects will require total capital investment of around GBP 9 billion between 2020 and 2026.
