Jack-up installation vessel, Voltaire; Credit: Jan de Nul

Jan De Nul Group, an engineering firm with its financial headquarters in Luxembourg, and Dogger Bank Wind Farm have signed the final contract for the transport and installation of 87 GE Haliade-X 14 MW offshore wind turbines.

Dogger Bank C, which lies 200 km off the Yorkshire coast, is the third phase of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm project awarded to Jan De Nul. Following the signature of phases A and B, this will bring the total number of wind turbines to be installed to 277 units.

For the delivery and installation of the 14 MW wind turbines, Jan De Nul Group will deploy its newest jack-up installation vessel, Voltaire, in what will be the vessel's first mission. The contract is subject to the condition that a financial package is finalised for Dogger Bank C at the end of 2021.

Once completed, the 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is being installed in the North Sea in three phases of 1.2 GW, will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world. The first two phases, Dogger Bank A and B, each comprising 95 13 MW turbines, are a joint venture between Equinor (40%), SSE Renewables (40%) and Eni (20%). The third phase, Dogger Bank C, is being rolled out on a different schedule and is owned by SSE Renewables (50%) and Equinor (50%).

SSE Renewables is leading the development and construction phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, whilst Equinor will oversee operations for its entire lifespan of up to 35 years.

When completed, Dogger Bank will generate enough energy to power more than six million homes in the United Kingdom (UK) each year.

Steve Wilson, Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Manager at SSE Renewables, commented: “Jan De Nul Group has a proven track record of transporting and installing large-scale wind turbines and there are no offshore wind farms larger than ours. With a lifting capacity of over 3,000 tonnes, the ultra-clean Voltaire will be the largest jack-up vessel in the world when it enters service in 2022. The provision of this state-of-the-art vessel for the three phases of the Dogger Bank wind farm once again illustrates how we work with our suppliers to drive innovation in offshore wind”.

Halfdan Brustad, Vice President of Dogger Bank at Equinor, added: “We are extremely happy to be able to count on the Voltaire for the third phase of Dogger Bank, following the wind turbine installations for phases A and B. When the wind farm Dogger Bank will be completed, this ultra-low emission vessel will have installed 277 of the world's most powerful wind turbines in the world's largest offshore wind farm; a hell of a feat for the Voltaire's first mission! The continuation of this contract with Jan De Nul is a testament to world-class innovation active at scale, two important factors in ensuring that we build Dogger Bank in the most efficient and sustainable way possible".

Philippe Hutse, director of the offshore department at Jan De Nul Group, concluded: “The Dogger Bank wind farm is exactly the type of project we had in mind when we made the decision to build the Voltaire. The size and characteristics of this offshore wind farm and wind turbines represent an ideal challenge for this new generation jack-up installation vessel. We are proud that our choices are being recognised and look forward to working with industry leaders SSE Renewables and Equinor on Phase C of this global project. We are very happy to be able to contribute to the global transition to renewable energy by installing offshore wind turbines at Dogger Bank A, B and C as efficiently and cleanly as possible".