Equinor, SSE Pick Base Location for World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm

Equinor and SSE Renewables have selected the Port of Tyne in northeast England to house the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base for the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

The 50-50 partners announced the selection on Wednesday, saying the “multi-billion pound” facility will be the onshore base for Equinor’s team ensuring the operation of the Dogger Bank farm.

The base strengthens Port of Tyne’s positioning to become a low-carbon industrial hub, while also creating jobs and supply chain opportunities to the Northeast of England.

Dogger Bank, under construction in the northeast coast of England, will produce 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of renewable electricity in a three-stage development. Phase 1 is planned to start up in 2023.

When fully operational, the £9 billion ($10.9 billion) project will supply 5% of the UK’s electricity needs, Kallanish Energy reports.

SSE Renewables started construction of the farm in January. Equinor will lead construction of the new O&M base, as well as operate the farm for its 25-year lifetime.

“Major scale renewable energy projects like Dogger Bank ensures Britain’s leadership as the number 1 offshore wind nation,” commented Stephen Bull, senior VP for Equinor’s North Sea New Energy Solutions.