Sofia achieved financial go ahead in March 2021 and moved into its official construction phase. Contracts are in place with all the project's Tier 1 suppliers - providing the main component packages including turbines, foundations and electrical infrastructure. Construction of Sofia officially began June 2021 with enabling works at the site of the project's onshore converter station in Redcar, Teesside. GE's Grid Solutions and its contractor Kier Infrastructure have now moved on to the converter station site with J. Murphy and Sons, also in place, carrying out the export cable civil engineering works.
Both onshore and offshore surveys have been integral to the development of Sofia since early environmental impact assessment work to inform the original development consent application. As the projects moves through its construction phase, surveys will continue to remain an integral part of our activity.
The first five ornithology aerial-LiDAR surveys to collect data on kittiwake flight height and abundance were completed in 2021 with the seven remaining surveys to be flown between March and August 2022. This will be the second and final year of our pre-construction ornithology surveys.
In 2021, the first phase of investigations of potential UXO and archaeology features was undertaken in the nearshore area in advance of landfall horizontal directional drilling (HDD) works set to take place in summer 2022. Around June this year the second phase of this UXO and archaeology campaign will get underway along the remainder of the export cable corridor and at the array site. An ROV will investigate potential UXOs, and several possible archaeology features and will inspect an additional aid to navigation buoy location. If any UXOs are identified a clearance campaign will follow, with low order deflagration the primary method of disposal.
The onshore surveys are now complete in readiness for the start of construction of the onshore converter station and civils works on the onshore cable corridor, underway in Spring 2022. In 2021 these surveys included a team of onshore archaeologists from Durham University’s Archaeological Services (DUAS) carrying out excavation and recording work at locations along the cable route, from landfall near the coast to the Wilton onshore converter station site.
Construction started in June 2021 with onshore civils works at the onshore converter station site adjacent to the Wilton Complex, near the village of Lazenby in Teesside. Construction of the converter station itself began in 2022 along with civils work for the onshore cable corridor, including at the landfall. Onshore activity, including reinstatement, will continue into 2025.
Fabrication of the wind farm components, including the offshore converter station, is now underway. Offshore construction will start in 2023, with both 2024 and 2025 set to be busy years on the Dogger Bank site as the offshore components are installed. On the current schedule the wind farm is due to be fully operational by the end of 2026.
Aligned to the Fishing Liaison with Offshore Wind and Wet Renewables Group (FLOWW) best practice guidance, Sofia’s aim is to allow fishing to continue wherever possible.
Sofia’s approach is set out in the Fisheries Liaison Plan (FLP), which details our consultation and liaison with the fishing industry along with the Fisheries Co-existence Plan, which aims to facilitate a positive co-existence between Sofia and commercial fishing interests, with principles applicable to the project's pre-construction, construction, operation and decommissioning phases.
For all mariner enquiries related to Sofia's offshore survey and construction activity, including vessel movements and to file a lost and damaged fisheries gear claim form, please contact Precision Marine Survey Limited via email or telephone +44 1964 624423
For fisheries stakeholders wishing to discuss commercial agreements please contact MacAlister Elliot via email or telephone +44 1590 679016.
Throughout the wind farm’s life-cycle, Sofia will utilise Notices to Mariners to communicate with the fisheries industry. Click below to see the latest notices.
| Point | Latitude (decimal degrees) | Longitude (decimal degrees) |
| 25 | 55.12443 | 2.14572 |
| 26 | 55.13002 | 2.21780 |
| 51 | 54.97070 | 2.50189 |
| 52 | 54.96096 | 2.48529 |
| 56 | 54.83864 | 2.27783 |
| 57 | 54.83862 | 2.26336 |
| 24 | 55.01111 | 1.95454 |
The health, safety and wellbeing of our project team and contractor personnel is our first priority. We have the highest safety standards and will ensure a positive safety culture is embedded within the project, implemented through focussed safety campaigns and continual reinforcement.
Safety starts at the top and Sofia's leadership will lead the way through a visible commitment to safety in all areas of the project both onshore and offshore.
Exemplary health, safety and wellbeing is vital to the successful construction, commissioning and operation of the wind farm.
Fostering RWE Renewable’s safety principles under the ‘We Care’ campaign:
