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Consent for Dogger bank

By: Chris Anderson 17/02/2015 Forewind/DECC

General Grid Ports Turbines Windfarms

The first consent order for offshore wind energy at Dogger Bank in the North Sea has been granted today – making it the largest renewable energy development ever to receive planning consent in the UK.

The consent approval is the result of more than four years of assessments, stakeholder consultation and planning by the Forewind consortium, owned equally by the four international energy companies – RWE, SSE, Statkraft and Statoil. According to the Forewind consortium this work has included one of the most extensive study's of an offshore area by a wind energy developer ever undertaken with more than £60 million spent on surveys, the vast majority going to UK-based contractors.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey approved the application for the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck development, which was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by the Forewind consortium in August last year.

“This is another great boost for Yorkshire and Humberside. This development has the potential to support hundreds of green jobs and power up to 2 million homes", stated Ed Davey, “Making the most of Britain’s home grown energy is creating jobs and businesses in the UK, getting the best deal for consumers and reducing our reliance on foreign imports. Wind power is vital to this plan, with £14.5 billion invested since 2010 into an industry which supports 35,400 jobs.”

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck, which has a total generating capacity of 2.4GW, comprises two separate 1.2GW offshore wind farms, each with up to 200 turbines installed across an area of around 500km2. The wind farms will be located 131 kilometres from the UK coast and will connect into the existing Creyke Beck substation near Cottingham, in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

When constructed, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is expected to be one of UK’s largest power generators, second only to the 3.9GW Drax coal-fired station in North Yorkshire and is the same size as the 2.4GW Longannet coal-fired station in Fife. In total it will be capable of generating 8 terrawatt hours (TWh) of green energy per annum, equal to the amount used annually by approximately 1.8 million British homes.

General Manager, Tarald Gjerde said the organisation and its four owners are thrilled that the first consent for the Dogger Bank Zone has been granted, taking the flagship development a step closer to supplying the UK with such a significant amount of renewable energy, and to realising the many potential economic opportunities, particularly on the east coast.

According to Forewind Dogger Bank Creyke Beck could create up to 4750 new direct and indirect full time equivalent jobs and generate more than £1.5 billion for the UK economy, with the majority of opportunities in the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber regions. This is particularly due to the regions proximity to the development as well as their historic strengths, existing skills in large-scale production activities and a marine support legacy.

“Achieving consent for what is currently the world’s largest offshore wind project in development is a major achievement for Forewind and will help confirm the UK’s position as the world leader in the industry,” Mr Gjerde said. “It is testament to the stellar efforts made by the outstanding Forewind team, and to the invaluable support given by a wide range of expert consultants and specialist suppliers."

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is part of the Dogger Bank Zone, the largest of the Round 3 zones but one of the shallowest, with high wind speeds and seabed conditions ideally suited to offshore wind development.

The rights for the Dogger Bank Zone were awarded to Forewind by The Crown Estate, manager of the UK seabed. Head of Offshore Wind for The Crown Estate, Huub den Rooijen said that:

“Today’s announcement for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is the largest planning consent for an offshore wind development globally. The sheer scale of this project creates the potential for it to be built at significantly lower costs, presenting a powerful opportunity for economic growth and jobs. We look forward to working with the Forewind consortium and the wider offshore wind industry to ensure the UK remains the most attractive country to invest into the long term.”

As part of the consent process a final six-week judicial review period is now underway.

A decision on Forewind’s second development consent order application, for Dogger Bank Teesside A&B, in anticipated around August this year.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey went on to say:
“This is another great boost for Yorkshire and Humberside."

Almost half of the costs associated with building and operating a wind farm are spent buying services and products from UK businesses. This translates into real jobs, particularly in areas like Yorkshire which is becoming an energy hub.

Siemens and ABP announced a combined investment of £310 million to develop new wind turbine production and installation facilities in Hull last year, creating over 1,000 new jobs. This is one of the largest investments in the Humberside area in the last 50 years and clearly demonstrates that the UK is the leading market for the sector.

The development consent for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck authorises:

Offshore

- Up to 400 wind turbines with fixed foundations
- Two offshore high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter platforms with fixed foundations
- Up to eight offshore collector platforms with fixed foundations
- Up to four offshore accommodation or helicopter platforms with fixed foundations
- Up to 10 offshore meteorological monitoring stations with fixed foundations
- Subsea cables between the elements of offshore infrastructure
- Offshore export cables carrying electricity from the offshore HVDC converter platforms to the Holderness coast

Onshore in the East Riding of Yorkshire:
- Underground cable transition joint bays at the landfall, north of Ulrome on the Holderness coast
- Underground HVDC export cables running approximately 30 kilometres from shore to the two converter stations
- Two converter stations located between Beverley and Cottingham adjacent to the A1079
- Underground high voltage alternating current (HVAC) export cables running approximately two kilometres from the converter stations to the National Grid substation at Creyke Beck, where connection works will be carried out.
You can visit the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck project HERE on our map.

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Consent for Dogger bank

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