Voltaire secured for Dogger Bank Wind Farms

The world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank Wind Farms, is delighted to welcome Jan De Nul’s Voltaire to the project. The new offshore jack-up installation vessel, with a lifting capacity of over 3,000 tonnes and standing taller than the Eiffel tower, is the largest of its kind in the world. The Voltaire will transport and install the world’s largest offshore wind turbines, GE’s Haliade-X, at Dogger Bank, which sits 130km off the Yorkshire coast. When complete, Dogger Bank will generate enough energy to power over 4.5 million homes every year – around 5% of the UK’s electricity needs.

The announcement today marks the first contract placed for Voltaire, which will enter in to service in 2022. The vessel, named after the pioneering European Enlightenment philosopher, is fitted with a highly advanced exhaust filtering system by means of a Selective Catalytic Reduction system and a Diesel Particulate Filter, making it the very first seagoing installation vessel of its kind to be an Ultra-Low Emission vessel.

Philippe Hutse, Offshore Director at Jan De Nul Group: “We are delighted to be selected as the transport and installation contractor for the next generation of turbines at Dogger Bank. The size of this giant project coincides perfectly with the capacities of our jack-up vessel Voltaire. It underlines that we are entering in to a new phase of OWF construction. We are proud to be at the forefront of offshore wind construction at Dogger Bank.”

Paul Cooley, Director of Capital Projects at SSE Renewables: “Dogger Bank is an industry leading project and we, along with our joint venture partners Equinor, are very excited to welcome another industry leader, Jan De Nul Group, to the development of the largest offshore wind farm in the world.”

Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor: “Dogger Bank represents the leading edge of the offshore wind industry. We and SSE Renewables believe the addition of Jan De Nul Group’s ground-breaking vessel to our project will drive the industry forward and make it more competitive.”

Steve Wilson, Project Director of Dogger Bank Wind Farms: “Jan De Nul Group has a proven track record of transporting and installing new generation offshore wind turbines at scale. Delivering Dogger Bank will be a testament to the skills and expertise of all of our partners in the supply chain, so we are very pleased to welcome Jan De Nul Group on board. Bringing the Voltaire vessel into the Dogger Bank project means we now have the most innovative turbines on the market being installed by the largest jack up vessel ever seen in the industry.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farms secured 3.6GW of offshore wind contracts in the UK Government’s recent contracts for difference auctions.

Record low prices were awarded for the three projects making up Dogger Bank Wind Farms: Creyke Beck A, Creyke Beck B and Teesside A. The project is now moving towards final investment decision, expected in 2020. SSE Renewables will lead the development and construction phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farms and Equinor will lead on operations.

About Dogger Bank Wind Farms

• A 50:50 joint venture between Equinor and SSE Renewables
• Consent was granted in 2015.
• Located in the North Sea, approximately 130km from the Yorkshire Coast.
• Water depth ranges from 20m to 35m.
• Each project will have an installed capacity of 1.2GW and will be able to power 1.5 million homes. Together, the projects can cover approximately 5% of the UK’s estimated electricity generation.
• The first project is expected to be operational in 2023.
• The WTGs will be installed on monopile foundations.
• The transmission system will be High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) due to long distance to grid connection point.
• The Contract for Difference is a 15-year contract which will be indexed for inflation. The strike price will be paid for every MWh generated by the wind farms during the contract. After the CfD contract ends, the projects will receive the market price for electricity.