Following the completion of the landfall horizontal directional drill to install ducts in early 2023, offshore construction started in September 2023 with the first phase of the installation of Sofia's two 220 kilometres long export cables. Being installed by brand new vessel Leonardo da Vinci the work will be carried out in two phases. Work on the Dogger Bank site will start in 2024 with the installation of the first of the project's 100 extended monopile foundations. The year of 2024 will be a busy one with the completion of the export cables, foundations, 350 kilometres of array cables and, at the heart of the wind farm, the 10,000 tonne offshore converter platform and its 7000 tonne jacket foundation. Next will be the arrival and installation of the 14MW turbines. Construction is anticipated be completed by the end of 2026.
In terms of offshore construction, the first main activity began in September 2023, with the start of the installation of the export cables by Prysmian's Leonardo da Vinci. This follows the completion of the remaining landfall horizontal directional drills and related marine works. Sofia's offshore construction team has now moved into its new base in the Port of Blyth, and the offshore site is almost established with, for example, installation of marker buoys on the Dogger Bank site.
Sofia's offshore construction base at Port of Blyth (Photo by Mike Smith Photo)
Offshore surveys and site clearance to prepare for construction.
Manufacture of the project’s two 220 kilometre export cables underway.
Start of fabrication of offshore converter platform and jacket foundation.
Ducting for export cable installed at landfall in Redcar, Teesside.
Start of fabrication of Sofia's 350 kilometres of array cables.
Start of fabrication of the project’s 100 extended monopile foundations.
First phase of export cable installation.
Start of manufacture and fabrication of the project's 100 turbines.
First extended monopile foundation installed on Dogger Bank site.
Array cable installation gets underway.
Offshore converter platform and jacket foundation sail to site ready for installation.
Completion of installation of the export cables, offshore converter station, array cables and the 100 turbine foundations.
Turbine installation underway
Installation and commissioning of the 100 turbines continues.
Sofia is fully operational.
Sofia submits documents related to the offshore activity to the Marine Management Organisation to approve and then store and make publicly available. To view the documents related to Sofia you can access the MMO Public Register and search under DCO/2016/00021 and DCO/2016/00019.
One of the key offshore construction documents is the Project Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan. It sets out how environmental impacts will be managed during Sofia’s offshore construction and operation, covering the environmental frameworks and procedures that will be followed by all contractors and sub-contractors in relation to marine pollution, chemicals, waste and disposal.
For Fisheries-specific documents please visit the For Mariners section of the website.
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Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) will manufacture, fabricate and install Sofia's 100 wind turbines. |
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GE’s Grid Solutions will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the offshore (and onshore) HVDC converter stations capable of transmitting 1,400 megawatts of power at 320 kilovolts. |
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Working in a consortium with GE's Grid Solutions, Sembcorp Marine will build and install the offshore platform and jacket foundation. |
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Van Oord will deliver the project's 100 foundations and 350 kilometres of array cables. |
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Prysmian Group will design, supply, install and commission Sofia's HVDC export link including 440 kilometres of offshore export cables and installation work. |
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Heerema Marine Contractors will transport and install Sofia's offshore converter platform using Sleipnir, the world's largest sustainable semi-submersible crane vessel.
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Cadeler has commissioned two brand new X-class vessels to transport and install the project's 100 turbines. They will be completed in late 2024 and early 2025 respectively. |
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Hellenic Cables will design, engineer, manufacture, test and supply Sofia's approximately 360 km of 66 kV XLPE-insulated inter-array cables and associated accessories.
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EEW will deliver Sofia's 100 extended monopile foundations under a contract with Van Oord. |
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Port of Blyth will be the location of the offshore construction base for Sofia's team for the duration of offshore works. |
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Specialist Marine Consultants will deliver offshore resources and services for the project's offshore construction phase. |
