Offshore cable installation commences at Dogger Bank C site for wind farm setup

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm, currently the world's largest under construction wind farm, is making significant strides in its third phase. This ambitious project, a joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Vårgrønn, is set to expand even further with the potential addition of Dogger Bank D, which could increase the total project capacity to 5.6 GW.

The third phase of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm will not be using the same type of turbines as the first two phases. Instead, it will feature 87 Haliade-X 14 MW turbines, a slightly larger model than the Haliade-X 13 MW turbines used in the previous phases.

DEME, a leading player in the offshore renewables industry, was awarded the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract for the inter-array cables at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm site in 2021. The company's scope of work includes the supply of approximately 250 kilometers of 66 kV inter-array cables and all related accessories.

The cables for this project are supplied by Hellenic Cables, under a contract signed with DEME in 2022. The cable-laying vessel Viking Neptun is scheduled to start installing these inter-array cables at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm site in the UK on or around 7 September. The vessel will be assisted by the walk-to-work vessel Norside Cetus for the deployment of cable pull-in teams.

Construction work on Dogger Bank C started earlier this year with the installation of the first monopiles by Seaway7's Seaway Strashnov. Meanwhile, work on Dogger Bank B inter-array connections is still underway with post-lay burial and testing and termination.

The first two phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B, have already made significant progress. All inter-array cables at the first 1.2 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm phase, Dogger Bank A, were installed last year. The offshore substation for the third phase was installed in May by Heerema Marine Contractors' SSCV Sleipnir.

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a large-scale wind farm project located in the UK, owned by a consortium of companies, with SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Vårgrønn each holding a 40% and 20% stake, respectively. This project underscores the commitment of these companies and the industry as a whole towards a greener and more sustainable future.