RWE starts construction of 1.4 GW Offshore wind project in UK

RWE has started initial construction works for the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm located on Dogger Bank in the North Sea.  

Located on Dogger Bank, 195 km from the nearest point on the UK’s North East coast, the Sofia offshore wind farm consists of 100 turbines, making it the largest and furthest offshore project for RWE. The project has a total investment of approximately GBP3 billion (USD4.22 billion).

Construction will start with onshore enabling works, implemented by Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK.  The works take place at the site of the new high-voltage direct current converter station, which will be constructed by GE’s Grid Solutions in early 2022. The onshore cable route with a 7-kilometer length will be under development at the same time. RWE has contracted Prysmian to supply and install the onshore export cable from a point between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea to the new converter station, before connecting to the existing National Grid substation in Lackenby, Teesside. 

Sven Utermöhlen, COO Wind Offshore Global of RWE Renewables, said: “Achieving this start-of-construction milestone for Sofia Offshore Wind Farm is a great moment for the entire RWE Renewables team and a fantastic tribute to the 11 years’ hard work and collaboration from everyone involved, including our suppliers and stakeholders.”

Offshore installations are planned to begin in 2023. Siemens Gamesa will install 100 14MW wind turbines. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Once operational, the wind farm could power electricity to more than 1.2 million UK homes annually. At around 6 TWh per year that is almost half of all the electricity used in the North East each year. In addition, the energy generated by the farm will save more than 2.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year compared to the use of fossil fuels in the UK.