Jones Bros ramps up Dogger Bank works

The 3.6GW Dogger Bank wind farm will be more than 130km off the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea and is being developed in three 1.2GW phases by joint venture partners SSE Renewables and Equinor.

It will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when complete and will generate enough energy to meet around 5% of the UK’s electricity needs.

Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has been contracted to install the onshore cable infrastructure for two of the phases – Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B – and undertake the bulk earthworks at the converter station locations south of Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Preparatory enabling works started in January 2020, and in recent weeks activities on the main onshore work have ramped up. This includes the first section of earthworks for the convertor stations, which will receive an DC current via the cables from the wind turbines and convert it to an AC current before sending it to the National Grid.

 Jones Bros has also started ducting activities on the high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable route from Ulrome to Beverley for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B projects.

The project is the first wind farm in the world to use HVDC technology, due to its distance from shore; the HVDC route comprises of 30km of ducting with trenches totalling 120km for ducting and cables.

 Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is also taking place to install the cabling ducting beneath existing structures, including roads, railways, canals, common land and rivers with minimal disruption.

Jones Bros is also continuing to build access tracks, with 13km in place so far.

The full works are expected to take two and a half years to complete.

Contracts director Garod Evans said: “Works on the onshore aspect of the wind farm are progressing well. We have more than 30 horizontal drills to carry out, which includes building a drilling pit to allow our supply chain partner Johnston Trenchless Solutions, also UK based, to operate. The horizontal drilling method will be used on multiple roads, canals, a river and a railway line to avoid unnecessary disruption.

“The team are also carrying out earthworks and drainage ahead of the installation of the convertor station platform where the cables will run to.

“Our team of 100, which includes apprentices and trainees, have adhered to social distancing regulations put in place by the government during Covid-19 and we have all worked hard to progress this project on schedule.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farm project manager Ollie Flattery said: “Jones Brothers have done a fantastic job getting project construction underway in such challenging circumstances, whilst ensuring those working on site, as well as the community in which they are operating are kept safe.”

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