ABB has been selected by SSE Renewables and Equinor to supply high-voltage direct current (HVDC) light converter technology to connect two out of the three windfarms in the Dogger Bank cluster in the North Sea to the UK transmission network
ABB has been awarded contracts for Creyke Beck A and Creyke Beck B. The Dogger Bank development consists of three wind farm projects – Creyke Beck A and B, and Teesside A.
ABB will supply HVDC light converter systems and Aibel will deliver two HVDC offshore converter platforms.
Both companies have options to provide platform and transmission solutions to the Teesside A project, which will be confirmed in due course.
ABB said the technology it will supply will have a reduced environmental footprint compared with the alternatives, due to compact substations combined with the low energy losses.
As previously highlighted by OWJ, the success of the Dogger Bank projects in the recent contract for difference (CfD) energy auction in the UK indicated that HVDC grid connection is now fully competitive.
“The big news from the CfD allocation round is not only the game-changing low prices but also that 5 GW of the circa 5.6 GW will be built using HVDC grid connections,” said BVG Associates’ supply chain and economics expert Alun Roberts.
Equinor vice president of Dogger Bank Halfdan Brustad said, “This is an important milestone, with ground-breaking HVDC technology enabling a competitive solution at a long distance from shore.”
Aibel will deliver two converter platforms, for the Creyke Beck A and Creyke Beck B projects, with an option for a third platform for the Teesside A project at the same windfarm.
The Norwegian company said Creyke Beck A and B will have a lean design, with a steel jacket structure and no living quarters or helideck. The platforms will normally be unmanned, operated from shore and accessed only by service operation vessels.
The Dogger Bank project will be led by Aibel in Haugesund, Norway. Construction of the platform topsides will take place at Aibel’s yard in Thailand. They will then be transported to Haugesund, where they will be outfitted with ABB’s HVDC converter technology, including final completion and commissioning.
The platform topside for Creyke Beck A is due to arrive in Haugesund in Q2 2022. It will be ready to sail away to Dogger Bank in Q1 2023, and final completion at the field will be in Q3 2023. Delivery of Creyke Beck B is scheduled for Q3 2024.
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