The world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank is now connected to Britain’s national grid and has started exporting electricity for the first time to British homes and businesses.
Given the impact of the war in Ukraine and its direct consequences for UK energy prices and in turn the cost of living crisis we are still reeling from, the Dogger Bank is now connected to Britain’s national grid is a major energy security milestone.
The 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being constructed in UK waters some 70 nautical miles (130km) off the coast of Yorkshire, in the UK’s North Sea. The world’s largest offshore wind farm will be constructed in three 1.2 GW phases known as Dogger Bank A, B and C.
Power from the offshore wind farm is now being transmitted to the UK’s national grid via Dogger Bank’s high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system, marking the first-time use of HVDC technology on a UK wind farm now that the first turbine at Dogger Bank A has started turning and producing electricity.
For the power generation, GE Vernova’s Haliade-X 13 MW turbines, one of the largest and most powerful globally, are being installed at Dogger Bank. Each rotation of the 107m long blades can produce enough energy to power an average British home for two days and the installation of these innovative GE turbines is the first time Haliade-X units have been energized offshore anywhere in the world.
Just How Big is Dogger Bank?
Dogger Bank will occupy an area almost as large as Greater London and nearly twice the size of New York City, which is some 600 square miles, i.e. 1,572 km2, which is more than two and a half times the size of the largest offshore wind farm currently in operation today.
When complete [expected in 2026] the 3.6 GW capacity will comprise 277 offshore turbines capable of producing enough energy to power the equivalent of six million British homes per year.
UK has seven of the top ten largest offshore wind farms
Not including Dogger Bank, the UK has seven of the top ten largest offshore wind farms including the worlds current biggest offshore wind farm, Hornsea, which has a combined capacity of 2.6 GW and powers over two million UK homes. Hornsea first started generating power in 2014 but two more phases, labelled Hornsea Three and Hornsea Four, will expand the total capacity to around 6 GW, which is enough to power 4.5 million homes per year.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“Offshore wind is critical to generating renewable, efficient energy that can power British homes from British seas.”
“I’m proud that this country is already a world leader in reaching Net Zero by 2050, and by doubling down on the new green industries of the future, we’ll get there in a way that’s both pragmatic and ambitious.”
“That’s why 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.”
Other Innovation News – £4bn UK car battery gigafactory plans formally confirmed / Bibby Marine to Build World First Vessel / Lincolnshire based Autocraft Solutions Group secures £24m funding /
Business Chamber is the online publication for local, national, international, economic, business and small business news, bringing you selected news on wider economic issues and business events interspersed with SME news stories that usually dont get a look in by mainstream syndicated news outlets.
