The power produced by Sofia will be transmitted by offshore cables that arrive on land at a site between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea. Each offshore cable will connect to an onshore buried cable that will run seven kilometres to a new converter station to be constructed on a site adjacent to the Wilton Complex. Further buried cables will transport the power two kilometres from the converter station to the existing substation at Lackenby, where it will feed into the national grid. Onshore construction works began at the site of the converter station in June 2021, and onshore project-related activity will continue until early 2025.
Onshore converter station
Civil engineering contractor Jones Bros. Civil Engineering UK handed the site to GE’s Grid Solutions and its onshore converter station sub-contractor Kier Infrastructure in spring this year. Jones Bros. had included provided a level load-bearing stone platform for both the Sofia and neighbouring Dogger Bank C converter stations; two new accesses to the site with associated bellmouths; welfare and laydown areas; drainage system, and associated utilities. New welfare facilities have been established to the north of the site, roads created within the site and the foundations for the storage, valve halls and service buildings are underway.
Sofia is keen to minimise disruption to those living nearest the site and part of this has focussed on re-shaping the mounds that separate the converter stations’ site from Lazenby Village. The reshaped mounds will be an improved barrier to the construction activity and in the longer term they will visually screen the two new converter stations and the Wilton International site. The north mound has been reshaped and planted with trees, shrubs and wildflowers. The second phase of reshaping, on the southern mound, is now underway.
A second GE contractor, VolkerInfra is also now onsite and so far has stripped the topsoil for the two kilometre 400kV AC cable route from the converter station to the National Grid substation at Lackenby.
Cable route
The onshore civil engineering work for the export cable route is also now well underway. J. Murphy & Sons Ltd. has established construction compounds at landfall and near the A174 between Saltburn and Redcar and the cable corridor has been fenced off.
Regular drone surveys of both the converter station and the cable corridor will be carried out throughout the works to monitor progress.
Start of enabling works to prepare for the construction of the converter station.
Start of work on the mounds on-site - to increase the screening of the converter station site from the village of Lazenby.
Enabling works completed at the converter station site.
Work at the existing National Grid Lackenby Substation begins.
Construction of Sofia’s onshore converter station begins.
Start of works along the cable corridor from landfall to Lackenby Substation. Trenching and duct laying underway.
Start of two years construction activity at the landfall between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea, including horizontal directional drill under the beach to lay ducts for the offshore cable.
Start of installation of the cables from shore to the converter station and from the converter station to the substation.
Completion of work along the cable corridor from the converter station site to the substation.
Completion of construction works at the landfall site.
Completion of the installation of cables from shore to the converter station.
Sofia connected to the national grid. All work, including reinstatement, completed along the cable corridor between the converter station and substation, and at the substation itself.
Onshore converter station construction completed.
Completion of the mounds screening the converter stations.
Completion of reinstatement of cable corridor from shore to the converter station site.
All relevant plans relating to the project's onshore construction, including Design, Landscape, Fencing and Drainage, will be submitted to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council for approval prior to work starting. The button below takes you to a list of all the available documents and their reference numbers so you can find them in the Planning Register of the Council website.
| CONTRACTOR | DESCRIPTION | WEBSITE |
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Starting onsite in 2022, GE's Grid Solutions will be responsible for the construction of the onshore converter station. |
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Prysmian Group will design, supply, install and commission Sofia's HVDC export link including 15km of onshore cables and installation work. |
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Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK will deliver the enabling works package for the onshore converter station platforms for both Sofia and Dogger Bank C. |
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Kier is carrying out the onshore converter station civils construction package on behalf of GE's Grid Solutions. |
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VolkerInfra will design, supply and install the 400kV AC cable between Sofia's onshore converter station and National Grid's Lackenby Substation. |
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BakerHicks will design the Sofia onshore converter station and carry out related activities. |
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J. Murphy & Sons will design and deliver the onshore export cable civil works in relation to both Sofia and neighbouring project Dogger Bank C. |
