Dogger Bank wind farm installs final HVDC offshore substation platform

Manufactured and supplied by Aibel and installed by Heerema Marine Contractors’ Sleipnir vessel, the Dogger Bank C platform measures approximately 75 x 50 m across and 36 m high and sits on a four-legged steel jacket foundation structure which is fixed to the seabed, at an average water depth of around 23 m.

The installation of the Dogger Bank C offshore substation topside onto the platform jacket followed on from the safe installation of the platform jacket by Heerema’s Sleipnir vessel a week earlier.

Olly Cass, Project Director for Dogger Bank wind farm, said: “The installation of our third offshore substation platform marks a significant leap on our journey to delivering renewable energy for around 6 million UK homes annually once the wind farm is complete.

“Our strong partnership with Aibel, Hitachi Energy, and our installation partners, with Heerema installing this third platform, has been key to the seamless completion and handover of these three pioneering structures.

“This is a significant moment for the project team, our delivery partners and for the UK’s clean energy transition.”

The innovative Aibel platform has a lean design and was the first unmanned HVDC platform to be installed in 2023, when the first of the project’s three platforms was successfully delivered at the Dogger Bank A phase. The substations are designed to be operated from shore and accessed only by a service operations vessel.

Further commissioning activities will now be carried out on the platform to prepare it for future transmission of renewable energy.

Fitted with Hitachi Energy’s latest generation HVDC converter technology, Dogger Bank is the first offshore wind project in the UK to use this technology to transmit the electricity produced back to shore, ensuring the electricity is transmitted efficiently over long distances while minimising losses.

Each of the three platforms will be capable of receiving 1.2 GW of AC power generated by Dogger Bank’s offshore wind turbines and converting that renewable energy to DC, before sending that clean, homegrown power ashore to three onshore convertor stations, near Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire and near Redcar on Teesside.

Mads Andersen, Aibel President and CEO, said: “The successful installation of the DBC converter platform marks a proud milestone for Aibel and our partner Hitachi Energy. We are honoured to have contributed to the world’s largest offshore wind farm by delivering three lean and effective converter platforms. This achievement reflects the strength of our collaboration with the client partners, the dedication of our teams, and our shared commitment to accelerating the energy transition.”

Martijn Kuipers, Project Director for Dogger Bank C at Heerema, added: “Completing the installation of the Dogger Bank C offshore substation platform marks a proud milestone for Heerema. The thorough preparations and seamless collaboration between Sleipnir’s skilled crew, our project team, Dogger Bank wind farm and our subcontractors, enabled us to safely and successfully install the jacket and top-side. This achievement reflects Heerema’s commitment to delivering complex offshore projects with precision and innovation, and we are proud to contribute to the UK’s energy transition.”

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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/26052025/dogger-bank-wind-farm-installs-final-hvdc-offshore-substation-platform/