World’s biggest offshore wind farm: progress to be unveiled at Sunderland expo next month
THE biggest showcase for the North East offshore wind (OW) industry is on in Sunderland early next month – with the latest news expected on the construction of the world’s biggest offshore wind farm.
SSE Renewables is building the 3.6-gigawatt (GW) Dogger Bank Wind Farm just over 130kms out in the North Sea, with construction taking place over three 1.2GW phases.
Each phase has up to 200 turbines, each with individual blades measuring 107 metres in length – that’s twice the wingspan of the Gateshead Angel of the North!
When complete in 2026, SSE says the farm will be capable of powering six million UK homes – about 20% of the UK’s 28million homes – helping drive the nation’s transition to ‘net zero’ carbon emissions.
The update on the giant Dogger Bank Wind Farm is just one of many talk-ins, briefings and discussions at the two-day Offshore Wind North East 2022 (OWNE22), at the Beacon of Light, on November 9 and 10.
Running for several years, OWNE has become a major regional OW industry expo, bringing together renewable energy giants and smaller companies to swap ideas and partner up for new innovations and projects.
This year’s event sees a busy two-day schedule, kicked off by Tony Quinn, chairman of Energi Coast, the umbrella organisation for this region’s OW industry ‘cluster’.
He will talk about how offshore wind, currently the UK’s biggest renewable energy source, fits into the nation’s strategic plan for future energy security – which has been made all the more urgent by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The rush to renewables means opportunities for new companies to supply the OW sector are huge, and this will be discussed at OWNE22 by Mark Legerton, RWE Renewables head of offshore development project management & optimisation.
Other key themes of OWNE22 are:
- Innovation
- Skills
- Floating Offshore Wind
- Logistics & Infrastructure
The full programme for OWNE22 is below and if your company would like to book tickets, the Eventbrite page is here.
OWNE 2022 programme
Wednesday 9 November 2022
08:30 – Exhibition open
09:15 – 10:20 Welcome to OWNE: A national event in a pioneering offshore wind region, NOF
The Energi Coast value proposition to support Energy Security and Clean Energy Growth in the UK, Energi Coast
A developers perspective on future supply chain needs, RWE Renewables
10:45 – 11:30 Sofia Offshore Wind Farm an RWE Renewables project, RWE Renewables
12:00 – 12:45 Logistics and Infrastructure: Airports, Offshore Wind Ports and Teesside Freeport, Teesside International Airport, Able UK, PD Ports, Port of Blyth, Port of Tyne, Panel Discussion
13:15 – 14:00 Routes to market through innovation, Hosted by ORE Catapult, Panellists: MJR Controls, Kinewell Energy, Transmission Dynamics and Unasys
14:30 – 15:00 Location, location, location – North East England the place to be for offshore wind, Hosted by NOF, Panellists: Invest North East England, Invest Tees Valley, JDR Cable Systems
15:30 – 16:30 ScotWind and AR4 results – the impact on the future UK project outlook, Hosted by the Offshore Wind Industry Council, Speakers: bp/EnBW and Orsted
16:30 – Drinks reception
Thursday 10 November
09:15 – 10:00 Dogger Bank Wind Farm update, Dogger Bank Wind Farm
10:30 – 11:00 Clean Energy Growth the Journey to Net Zero, Hosted by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Panellists: ABB
11:30 – 12:00 Tackling the skills shortage in the offshore wind industry, Energi Coast Skills Group, AIS Survivex, Teeswork Skills Academy
12:45 – 13:15 The global journey to offshore wind, how North East England can support, Hosted by the National Offshore Wind Institute , Presentations by the Department for International Trade
13:45 – 14:30 Floating Offshore Wind – a key opportunity for North East England, Panellists: Equinor, Copenhagen Offshore Partners, Principle Power and JDR Cable Systems
14:45 – 15:30 Champions of offshore wind – Supply chain and procurement opportunities across the tiers, Hosted by NOF, Presentations by Smulders, Van Oord and Royal IHC
15:30 – Event close
