The Anonymous Widower

Dogger Bank D Welcomes Confirmation Of Grid Connection Location

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE Renewables.

This is the sub-heading.

Project team now focusing full attention on electrical transmission system connection.

These four paragraphs describe the proposed connection to the National Grid.

SSE Renewables and Equinor have welcomed confirmation of a grid connection location from the Electricity System Operator (ESO) for a proposed fourth phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

Dogger Bank D will now connect into Birkhill Wood, a proposed new 400kV substation located in the East Riding of Yorkshire which will be built as part of National Grid’s Great Grid Upgrade.

The announcement follows the publication of an impact assessment for the South Cluster by ESO, relating to energy projects which are due to be electrically connected off the east coast of England.

With the location of a grid connection confirmed, Dogger Bank D will now focus its full attention on connecting to the electrical transmission system.

This is a big change from December 2023, when I wrote Plans for Hydrogen Development At Dogger Bank D Gain Ground, which indicated that Dogger Bank D would be used to produce hydrogen, so the grid connection wouldn’t be needed.

Using A Offshore Hybrid Asset Between the UK And Another European Country

This is the next paragraph on the SSE Renewables press release.

The project is also exploring the future possibility of the development of Dogger Bank D to be coordinated with an Offshore Hybrid Asset between the UK and another European country’s electricity market to form a multi-purpose interconnector. This option would increase energy security for the UK and reduce the need to curtail offshore wind output in times of oversupply on the GB network.

Note that just over the boundary of the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone are the Dutch and German Exclusive Economic Zones.

It is not unreasonable to believe that UK, Dutch and German grid could all be connected on the Dogger Bank.

Connecting Everything Up At Birkhill Wood

This is the next paragraph on the SSE Renewables press release.

The project team are undertaking a site selection process to identify potential cable corridors and where other onshore infrastructure associated with the grid connection at Birkhill Wood may be sited. Consultation will be held later this year to introduce the connection proposals to the local community.

At least now, with the connection to Birkhill Wood confirmed, SSE and Equinor will be able to supply any electricity generated at Dogger Bank D to the UK grid, up to limit of the connection.

The Value Of Electricity That Could Be Generated At Dogger Bank D

Consider.

• The wind farm has a capacity of 2 GW or 2,000 MW.
• There are 365 days in most years.
• There are 24 hours in the day.
• This means that 17, 520,000 MWh could be generated in a year.
• A large wind farm like Hornsea One has a twelve month rolling capacity factor of 46.6%.
• Applying this capacity factor says that 8,164,320 MWh will be generated in a year.
• The Contract for Difference Round 6 for this electricity will be £73/MWh.

Applying that figure gives a yearly turnover of £ 595,995,360 or £ 297,997,680 per installed GW.

It is not unreasonable to assume that half of this electricity were to be exported to power Germany industry.

It could be a nice little earner for the Treasury.

March 14, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Energy | Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 6, Dogger Bank, Dogger Bank D Wind Farm, Dogger Bank Wind Farms, Equinor, Germany, National Grid, Offshore Wind Power, SSE Renewables, Wind Power