Equinor and SSE Renewables, the two companies behind the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, have announced plans to build a new Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Base at the Port of Tyne (UK).
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a 50:50 joint venture (JV) between Equinor and SSE Renewables. Construction of the wind farm, led by SSE Renewables, began in January 2020 and as operator for the operations phase, Equinor will construct this new O&M base, and operate the wind farm for its expected life of more than 25 years. The overall wind farm comprises three 1.2GW phases, with each phase located more than 130km from the North East coast of England.
The new facility, which includes both office space and a warehouse, will be the onshore base for Equinor’s teams ensuring the efficient operation of the wind farm. The project is expected to generate over 200 direct jobs in the region, as well as opportunities for companies at all levels of the supply chain. The Dogger Bank Wind Farm is estimated to trigger a totalcapital investment of approximately GBP 9 billion between 2020 and 2026.
The jobs required to operate an offshore wind farm include maintenance technician roles, that will predominately be based offshore, as well as office-based teams to support the operations from land. The main recruitment activity will begin in early 2022 and ramp up as the project nears operation, with the first phase due to begin producing electricity in 2023.