Saipem 7000 lifts Dogger Bank HVDC platform in place

Saipem’s semi-submersible crane vessel Saipem 7000 has completed the installation of the second unmanned High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) platform at the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm. The substation is the second of three platforms, each supplied by Aibel, to be installed at Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, which is being constructed in three phases known as A, B, and C, each with a capacity of 1.2GW.

The platform has been installed 130km away from the UK coastline at Dogger Bank B, by Saipem 7000 vessel. It has a Hitachi Energy HVDC system that has been designed to transmit power more efficiently than traditional AC systems. The platform will receive 1.2GW of AC power, generated by the 95 offshore wind turbines of Dogger Bank B. Then, it will convert it to DC for transmission to an onshore converter station located near Beverley in East Riding of Yorkshire.

In April 2023, the first platform was installed at Dogger Bank A. This marks the first use of this technology in offshore wind in the UK. All three platforms will be controlled from shore and have a lean design. This results in a weight reduction of 70% per MW compared to previous platform designs.

Measuring 75 metres long, 45 metres wide and 39 metres high, the platform utilises a four-legged steel jacket foundation structure designed and fabricated by Saipem in water depths of around 28 meters.

Gianalberto Secchi, COO of Saipem’s Offshore Wind Business Line, commented, “We are proud to have contributed to the achievement of this important milestone for the groundbreaking Dogger Bank project, which reaffirms Saipem’s leadership in the offshore industry and our expertise in supporting Clients in the development of offshore wind farms as a key resource for the energy transition worldwide.”