Offshore staff
ESSEN, Germany – RWE has taken the financial investment decision on its 1.4-GW flagship Sofia offshore wind farm project on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea.
The 100% RWE-owned project is expected to require a total investment of about £3 billion ($4 billion).
Onshore enabling works are due to start this spring and offshore construction in 2023. Final project completion is expected by 4Q 2026.
Located 195 km (121 mi) off northeast England, the Sofia project will have one offshore converter platform, with the electricity generated transported via a high voltage direct current export cable to landfall 220 km (137 mi) away in Redcar, Teesside. It will require a new onshore converter station, and already has an agreed grid connection point at the existing National Grid substation in Lackenby, Teesside, 7 km (4 mi) inland.
The company said it is reviewing port options for the project’s long-term operations and maintenance activity.
Preferred supplier agreements are already in place, with contracts due to be finalized in the coming weeks.
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is lined up to supply 100 of its 14-MW offshore wind turbines (SG 14-222 DD). A consortium of GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions and Sembcorp Marine is set to supply a transmission system including two HVDC converter stations. Van Oord is the preferred supplier for monopile foundations as well as array cables and plans to establish a logistics hub in the UK’s North East to deliver the work. Prysmian Group is due to provide a high voltage submarine and land export cable connection, including use of its new cable installation vessel Leonardo da Vinci.
03/25/2021
