WCS is proud to have had the opportunity to work on Dogger Bank Wind Farm, an exciting project with the additional benefit of engagement with clients Hitachi Energy (formerly Hitachi ABB Power Grids), National Grid and SSE Renewables (a division of SSE which was formerly Scottish and Southern Energy).
Dogger Bank is an isolated sandbank in the North Sea, which will soon be home to the largest offshore wind farm in the world. Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). The farm is being completed in three phases, Dogger Bank A, B and C, with completion dates ranging from 2023 to 2026.
The wind farm will use the most powerful offshore wind turbine in operation, GE’s Haliade-X. Dogger Bank represented the first order for this new turbine and will see the first installation in the world. Each phase will result in a generating capacity of 1.2 GW, the overall 3.6 GW capacity being enough to power 6 million homes.
Onshore construction at National Grid’s Crekye Beck substation is underway with an additional 2 connection bays being installed to enable the connection of the incoming wind farm cables, as is offshore construction for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B. First actual power generation is expected in the summer of 2023 (Dogger Bank A) and the summer following (at Dogger Bank B). After this, a delay of six months or so is expected between initial test power generation and the supply of power of commercial operations.
Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B are 130km from the Yorkshire coast, with power being returned to shore via undersea cables that connect ultimately to the National Grid Substation at Creyke Beck, in Humberside. Dogger Bank C, when it is constructed, will be almost 200km from shore.
Because of the long distances involved, Dogger Bank will use a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) connection. This transmission system is typically used to transfer power between countries, and Dogger Bank will be the first wind farm in the UK to use such a system. Hitachi Energy were asked to install their own technology, HVDC Light, for these submarine cables, and asked Whitfield Consulting Services (WCS) to handle civil design work and other responsibilities around the onshore substation at Creyke Beck.
WCS was asked to complete initial civil engineering design for activities centring on Creyke Beck Substation and were later confirmed as the consultant tasked with detailed civil design, as well as inspection and oversight of civils works. WCS was asked to nominate a senior engineer to be Temporary Works Coordinator for the project and Nick Lowe, Associate at WCS was proposed and accepted to perform the role.
The specific work needed at the substation included extension of two 400kV bay connections with excavation within the congested substation required, so that new Gas Insulated and Air Insulated Switchgear, and Portable Relay Rooms could be installed on new foundations designed by WCS to support the equipment and new cable duct systems for LV and control cables.
All design work is complete on this project, with construction now drawing to a close. WCS expects to finish the As Built Drawing package in early 2023.
To learn more about WCS and our civil engineering work, please follow the links to our portfolio page or our contact page.