World’s largest offshore wind farm comes on line

Equinor has begun producing power from the world’s largest offshore wind farm located in the UK’s North Sea, the Norwegian NOC announced on Tuesday.

The first turbine of the project’s first phase has begun producing energy and exporting to the national grid via a high-voltage direct current transmission system.

The 3.6-GW Dogger Bank wind project will be developed in three 1.2-GW phases known as Dogger A, Dogger B and Dogger C. It will consist of 277 260-metre-tall turbines and is expected to be fully commissioned in 2026.

The project located 130 kilometres off the coast of Yorkshire is expected to cost USD 11 billion.

The turbine blades are 170 kilometres long. According to Equinor, one rotation generates enough to power an average British home for two days.

The project’s commencement follows the installation of the first of GE Vernova’s Haliade-X 13 MW turbines at the site.

The occasion marks the first time the Haliade-X units have been energized offshore anywhere in the world and the first use of a high-voltage direct current transmission system on a wind farm in the UK.

“It’s fantastic to see the world’s largest wind farm, Dogger Bank, generating power for the first time today from UK waters, which will not only bolster our energy security but create jobs, lower electricity bills and keep us on track for net zero,” said UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Dogger Bank is being developed by a joint venture comprising Equinor with a 40% stake, SSE Renewables with a 40% stake and Vårgrønn with the remaining 20% stake. The latter entity is a joint venture between Italy’s Eni Plenitude and Norwegian investment entity HitecVision.

SSE Renewables will be the lead operator during the development and construction phases of the project, with Equinor taking over the role during its expected 35-year operational lifespan.