SSE, Equinor Moving Dogger Bank D Towards Development Consent Application

June 28, 2024, by Adrijana Buljan

NOTE: Updated on 12 July with information on the expected timeframe within which the developers could submit a DCO application.

SSE and Equinor, co-owners/developers of the Dogger Bank D offshore wind project, have submitted a Scoping Report for the 2 GW project to the UK’s Planning Inspectorate. The report is filed in preparation for carrying out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that is required for submitting a Development Consent Order (DCO) application.

According to information on the UK’s Planning Inspectorate website, Dogger Bank D owners/developers are expected to file an application for a DCO early next year, sometime in the first quarter of 2025.

Dogger Bank D is the proposed fourth phase of what is already the world’s biggest offshore wind farm under construction which SSE and Equinor are building off Yorkshire in a consortium with Vårgrønn. If the fourth phase is approved and built, it would add up to 2 GW of installed capacity to the 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm, whose third phase went into construction this year.

“The Scoping Report is an important milestone for Dogger Bank D and is a key part of the development of an offshore wind farm,” said Rob Cussons, Project Director for Dogger Bank D at SSE Renewables.

“The report lays out the scope of the project proposals and identifies key environmental factors. We look forward to receiving a Scoping Opinion from the Planning Inspectorate and input from consultees which will help inform our development proposals.”

A further round of public consultation on the proposals for Dogger Bank D will take place in Autumn 2024, SSE Renewables said on 28 June.

The filing of the EIA Scoping Report follows the publication of National Grid ESO’s Transitional Centralised Strategic Network Plan (tCSNP2) which included confirmation that Dogger Bank D will connect to Birkhill Wood, a proposed new 400 kV substation located in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

After the confirmation, SSE and Equinor dropped the previous plan to integrate green hydrogen production into Dogger Bank D, focusing entirely on power generation from the proposed offshore wind farm.

If consented and approved for construction, Dogger Bank D would be built some 210 kilometres off the UK’s northeast coast, in the eastern zone of the Dogger Bank C lease area.

The proposed fourth phase of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm has been designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and is therefore required to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) through the NSIP Planning Process. SSE and Equinor said that they were also working closely with The Crown Estate to agree on the progression of the project.

If approved, Dogger Bank D is expected to enter construction in 2029, at the earliest. Based on this timeline, the construction of the offshore wind farm is anticipated to be completed no later than 2035.

The 2 GW offshore wind farm is planned to comprise a maximum of 122 wind turbines, based on the likely wind turbine models that will be available at the time the project enters construction, which the developers expect to have a rated capacity of between 14 MW and 27+ MW per turbine, according to information in the Scoping Report.

The final selection of wind turbines will be made once further surveys, technical development and engagement with the supply chain have been undertaken with the final decision made post-consent, the developers noted.