Talking to the companies behind the Dogger Bank project has shown Imperial researchers what helps and what hinders modern wind farm development.
The Dogger Bank Wind Farm is the world's largest offshore wind farm in construction. Once complete in 2027, it will generate 3.6 gigawatts of energy, enough to power the equivalent of six million homes in the UK, making a significant contribution to the nation's net zero goals.
It is also the first UK windfarm to feature a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) connection to the mainland. This makes Dogger Bank an important test case for this type of transmission system, paving the way for other large offshore wind farms.
Although only one of the three project phases has so far begun generating power, enough has been learned during the planning and construction process across all three phases to highlight factors that helped the project advance, and those that challenged it.
These lessons are explored in a report prepared by Kaylen Camacho McCluskey and Dr Aidan Rhodes, a Research Fellow for Energy Policy at Imperial. Working independently through Imperial Consultants, they were given exclusive access to experts at SSE Renewables and Equinor (who together with Vårgrønn make up the project consortium), and those at Hitachi Energy, who are delivering the HVDC converter system.
"It's been insightful to hear about experiences from the project, to reflect on how the offshore wind industry has evolved since Dogger Bank was first approved, and to consider how these lessons can be leveraged to address some very pressing challenges, increase domestic expertise in HVDC and support the industry on the road to net zero," said Ms Camacho McCluskey.
The report was commissioned through the Imperial Business Partners programme by SSE Renewables, a member of the programme, and Hitachi Energy, an Imperial partner.
Wind at your back
One of the positive lessons learned was the decision to build the windfarm in three phases, with a standardised HVDC technology in each phase. "The biggest advantage of the three phases is that we could build as one project," explained Alan Borland of SSE Renewables. "We could deliver economies of scale, in terms of our buying power in the market. The other advantage was learning lessons from one phase to the other and seeing consistent improvements."
Meanwhile, standardisation led to streamlined production, reduced the costs of installation and system integration, enabled further economies of scale and increased compatibility with future projects.
The decision to collectively design the innovative HVDC system was another positive factor, as was a focusing on early risk mitigation and minimising interventions. Finally, the project developed and maintained a collaborative working culture.
"Sometimes, all you need is people to talk to each other," said Lila Vazquez Villamor of Equinor. "Chances are not everyone is going to agree, so you need to build the right culture so that no one is afraid to speak their mind, and so that everyone is open to having a discussion together."
Heavy going
The challenges that had to be overcome in the project, or simply endured, included a lengthy planning and permitting process, with the Development Consent Order taking nearly four years to conclude. Then, there were macro-economic and geopolitical challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the global energy transition, which created a supply chain squeeze for HVDC components.
Finally, the teams were faced with on-site challenges relating to the distances and unique weather conditions involved: the turbines are situated between 130km and 190km from the windy Yorkshire coast. There were also local challenges to be faced, such as vessel procurement, the availability of skilled labour and coordination with third-party developers.
Not all of these factors are under the control of governments and companies, but the report makes several recommendations that could make things easier for future offshore wind farm developments. These include the introduction of a maximum permitting time for offshore wind projects – three years is suggested – and a move to involve statutory consultees earlier in the project approval process.
Dogger Bank is a landmark project that offers invaluable insights for future large-scale energy infrastructure developments in the UK and beyond. Grant McKay Hitachi Energy
There is also a call for increased domestic investment in HVDC research and development, increased grid capacity to support integration of offshore renewable energy sources, and greater standardisation to support the growth and stability of domestic HVDC supply chains.
Meanwhile, companies are advised to learn the lessons of Dogger Bank and build in, where possible, the positive aspects of the project. More generally, they are advised to pursue long-term, collaborative business partnerships and increase information and knowledge sharing between third parties.
"Dogger Bank is a landmark project that offers invaluable insights for future large-scale energy infrastructure developments in the UK and beyond," said Grant McKay from Hitachi Energy. "This report demonstrates that offshore HVDC transmission systems can be built at scale and speed when underpinned by long-term partnerships and a shared commitment to innovation and efficiency."
Images courtesy of Dogger Bank
