SSE and Equinor’s 1200MW Dogger Bank C offshore wind farm will help to stabilise the UK power grid, taking over the role from a nuclear power plant from 2024.
The onshore converter station of the developers’ project will help to provide reactive power capability – increasing or decreasing power to ensure voltage remains within safe limits – in the north-east of England.
The developers secured the right to do so following a competitive auction held by UK transmission system operator (TSO) National Grid ESO.
Steve Wilson, SSE Renewables’ project director for Dogger Bank, explained that the wind farm “will become the first UK offshore wind farm to use the functionality of its transmission assets to support National Grid ESO in balancing the network”.
It will replace the 1,185MW Hartlepool nuclear power plant, which is expected to close in March 2024.
Dogger Bank C’s transmission asset will provide 211 megavolt ampere of reactive power capability between them. National Grid Electricity Transmission's assets will also provide reactive power capacity.
National Grid estimates that these measures will save consumers more than £10 million (€11.8 million) over the ten-year duration of the contracts.
Dogger Bank C is majority owned by SSE and Equinor (40% each), while oil major Eni owns 20%.
It is due online in 2026. However, it is the transmission asset – rather than the wind farm itself – that is providing reactive power capability, so the turbines not necessarily need to be operational for Dogger Bank C to begin stabilising the grid, a National Grid spokesman explained.
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