Dogger Bank A May Not Be Fully Operational Until 2025, SSE Says

Project Updates

February 8, 2024, by Adnan Memija

Dogger Bank A, the first of the three phases of the UK’s Dogger Bank Wind Farm, the world’s biggest offshore wind farm under construction, may not be fully operational until 2025, developer SSE said on 8 February.

The 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being constructed in UK waters some 130 kilometres off the coast of Yorkshire and in three 1.2 GW phases known as Dogger Bank A, B, and C.

Challenging weather conditions had impacted wind turbine installation at Dogger Bank A, with vessel availability and supply chain delays further impacting progress, said SSE in its third-quarter trading update.

“Following notification of further vessel unavailability over the coming weeks there is an increasing possibility that full operations will not be achieved until 2025, although this is not expected to materially change project returns,” according to the company.

SSE added that the firm is working with its supply chain partners to improve current installation rates, with a further update on progress to be provided in May with the publication of the company’s full-year results.

Dogger Bank A will comprise 95 Haliade-X 13 MW turbines with the first unit being installed in September 2023. According to the most recent weekly update from the project, seven wind turbines have been installed at the offshore site until now.

The first wind turbine started producing power in October 2023. Dogger Bank A was planned to enter commercial operation this year.

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SSE Renewables output was 1.3 TWh or around 15 per cent behind a plan for the nine months to 31 December 2023, largely due to exceptionally still and dry weather conditions but also reflecting short-term plant outages and rephasing of flexible hydro output into the fourth quarter, the company said.

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm is owned by SSE Renewables (40 per cent), Equinor (40 per cent), and Vårgrønn (20 per cent).

Monopile installation on the Dogger Bank B was also delayed and is now expected to start next month, according to filings available on the UK government’s website, submitted by the Dogger Bank Wind Farm consortium in November 2023.