RenewableUK: World's largest offshore wind farm gains consent

RenewableUK is celebrating the announcement that the giant Dogger Bank Creyke Beck offshore wind farm has gained consent from the Energy Secretary Edward Davey.

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck is the largest consented offshore wind project in the world, with an installed capacity of up to 2.4 gigawatts (GW), enough to meet the needs of 1.8 million households, and on its own supply around 2.5% of UK electricity.

The proposed site of the two adjacent wind farms (Creyke Beck A and B) is 81 miles from the shore at its closest point, covering a maximum area of 430 square miles. Each of the sites will have a capacity of up to 1.2GW, and would reduce carbon emissions by almost four million tonnes a year.

It is the furthest offshore wind project from UK shores, while remaining in shallow waters of approximately 30 metres. This means that it will be at the cutting edge of advancements in offshore wind farm development across the world. It is also the first consented phase of the much larger Dogger Bank zone, which comprises six sites with an estimated total capacity of up to 7.2GW.

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck will now enter a pre-construction phase, before the final investment decision is made. It could create up to 4,750 new direct and indirect full time equivalent jobs over the 25-year lifespan of the project.

RenewableUK’s Director of Offshore Renewables, Nick Medic, said: “This is an awesome project. It will surely be considered as one of the most significant infrastructure projects ever undertaken by the wind industry. A colossal wind energy power station right in the middle of the North Sea, comprising hundreds of offshore wind turbines over 80 miles off shore.

Dogger Bank demonstrates the sheer potential of offshore technology to turn our vast ocean and wind resources into green energy. It is a project that pushes the offshore engineering envelope - demonstrating how far this technology has evolved in the ten short years since the first major offshore wind farm was installed in North Hoyle just 5 miles from shore.

The Dogger Bank projects now in planning could supply around 5% of UK electricity. We need to make sure that this project as well as other worthy offshore projects around these islands are adequately supported and funded. In return, offshore wind will generate much more than just electricity: it will turn the country into a green-economy powerhouse, creating jobs and business growth for years to come. Finally, we offer our congratulations for the team at the Forewind consortium taking this project to its consent.