Port Ops base will support offshore wind

The O&M base will be constructed at the Port of Tyne for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, a 50:50 joint venture (JV) between Equinor and SSE Renewables.

Matt Beeton, chief executive officer at the Port of Tyne, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been selected by Equinor and SSE Renewables as the port of choice to house the Operations and Maintenance base for the largest offshore wind farm in the world. This is clearly a very important milestone in attracting such leading names in offshore power generation to the Port but it’s also extremely important for the wider region in terms of local supply chain and employment opportunities.

“The Port recently launched its ‘Tyne 2050’ plan with a vision to become one of the most environmentally sustainable ports in the UK by 2030. Offshore wind is a key component of that strategy and this announcement is a huge step towards developing a cleaner future for the Port, the region and for industry in the North East.”

Construction underway

Construction of the wind farm, led by SSE Renewables, began in January 2020. Leading the operations phase, Equinor will construct the O&M base, and operate the wind farm for its expected life of more than 25 years.

The multi-million pound O&M base, which includes both office space and a warehouse, will be the onshore base for Equinor’s teams tasked with ensuring the efficient operation of the wind farm.

The overall wind farm comprises three 1.2GW phases, with each phase located more than 130km from the North East coast of England. When fully operational, the wind farm will be able to generate around 5% of the UK’s electricity needs

The first phase of Dogger Bank is due to begin producing electricity in 2023.