SSE Renewables and Equinor, co-developers of the proposed Dogger Bank D fourth phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, have established commercial terms with The Crown Estate around an amendment to the existing Dogger Bank C seabed lease. This is subject to the outcome of the plan-Level Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) that is associated with The Crown Estate’s wider Capacity Improvement Program.
These preliminary terms mark another milestone in the delivery of a proposed fourth phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the 3.6-GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm currently under construction off the coast of Yorkshire, England, in the North Sea.
Announced in 2023, Dogger Bank D has a potential capacity of up to 2 GW of new renewable energy for the United Kingdom energy system, which would be generated from maximizing the capacity of the eastern portion of the Dogger Bank C seabed lease area. The move would make Dogger Bank, the world’s biggest offshore wind farm being built off the U.K., even bigger.
The Dogger Bank D project is one of seven offshore wind farm projects in development that were identified for potential increases in generating capacity when The Crown Estate announced the Capacity Improvement Program in November 2023 to unlock up to 4 GW of potential new green electricity production. The capacity increases under consideration are within areas where seabed leasing agreements are already in place.
Before a final decision is made on the Capacity Improvement Program, The Crown Estate is required to undertake a plan-Level Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) in order to assess the implications of the program for protected habitats. The HRA seeks to understand the collective environmental impact of the additional capacity across all seven projects.
“I am delighted the shareholders in Dogger Bank D have been able to establish commercial terms to amend the Dogger Bank C lease with The Crown Estate, subject to the outcome of the Plan Level HRA and The Crown Estate’s final decision on the Capacity Improvement Program,” says Rob Cussons, Dogger Bank D Project director at SSE Renewables. “It is a move that can unlock the value of more clean energy from the same area of seabed, as we accelerate toward a greener and more secure energy system.
“This pioneering project is made possible by the joint foresight from shareholders SSE and Equinor along with The Crown Estate to consider an innovative approach to bring forward more clean and secure energy from the available seabed, whilst ensuring that sensitive marine habitats are protected,” adds Cussons. “And in doing so we can make the world’s biggest offshore wind farm even bigger.”
