SPIE Global Services Energy, through its subsidiary SPIE Wind Connect, has been selected to carry out the full scope of connection and inter-array cable testing at 66 kilovolts on the 87 turbines of the final phase of the Dogger Bank project, located in the North Sea. This contract extends SPIE’s involvement in the earlier phases of the wind farm, confirming its strategic role in delivering this major energy infrastructure.
The Dogger Bank wind farm, located over 130 kilometres off the north-east coast of England, is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn (20%). SSE Renewables is managing the construction, while Equinor will operate the site during its planned 35-year lifecycle. Over 400 permanent jobs have already been created in South Tyneside for operations and maintenance activities.
A technical mission entrusted to SPIE Wind Connect
SPIE Wind Connect is in charge of inter-array cable connection and testing across all three phases of the Dogger Bank project: A, B, and now C. Each turbine will be linked using 66-kilovolt cables, a critical component for the efficient transmission of electricity to the onshore grid. This technical phase is essential to the completion of the wind farm, which will have a total capacity of 3.6 gigawatts once finalised.
The technology deployed includes General Electric’s Haliade-X offshore turbines, each delivering up to 14 megawatts of power. The project will install these models across all sites, making Dogger Bank the first offshore wind farm in the world to use this generation of high-capacity turbines. A single blade rotation is capable of producing enough electricity to power a UK home for over two days.
A structuring European project for offshore wind
Scheduled to be operational by 2026, Dogger Bank is expected to supply electricity to approximately six million UK households. The development is divided into three equal phases of 1.2 gigawatts, representing a total of 277 turbines. SPIE’s selection for all connection operations underlines its standing in high-voltage services for complex offshore projects.
Sam Dowey, Managing Director of SPIE Wind Connect, stated that being selected for all three phases “proves that our skills and commitment in this field are highly recognised.” According to him, the project will “set new standards for offshore wind.”
This new milestone for SPIE comes in a context of growing structuring in the European offshore wind market, driven by public-private investment dynamics and the progressive industrialisation of marine energy production and transmission technologies.
