Overview 

Source: Dudgeon wind farm limited

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Power Plant is a large-scale greenfield wind energy project located 32 kilometers off the coast of North Norfolk, UK in the North Sea.  Commissioned in October 2017, the project has a capacity of 402 MW and generates enough clean energy to power over 410,000 homes. 

The project represents a total investment of GBP 1.25 billion and utilizes 67 Siemens Gamesa SWT-6.0-154 wind turbines. The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Power Plant generates a revenue of approximately GBP 150 per megawatt hour (USD 187.27/MWh).

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Dudgeon Offshore Wind Location

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm is located in a 35 square kilometer area of the North Sea, England, United Kingdom. Roughly 32 kilometers off the coast of Cromer, a seaside town in North Norfolk, it is one of the furthest offshore wind farms from the UK's shoreline.  

The seafloor at the wind farm site varies in depth from 18 to 25 meters, with an average wind speed of 9.8 meters per second, ideal conditions for large-scale wind energy production.

Read: Top Five Upcoming Offshore Wind Farm Power Projects in United Kingdom (UK)

Project Background

The Dudgeon Offshore Windfarm's journey began in 2003 when the UK Government awarded the license for the Dudgeon offshore wind farm site. Initially planned as a 560MW project, the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm is now owned and operated by a joint venture company called Dudgeon Offshore Wind Limited. This consortium consists of Equinor Asa (formerly Statoil), Masdar, and China Resources (Holdings), with Equinor as the project operator.

Warwick Energy Limited submitted a planning application in 2009. However, in 2012, Statoil and Statkraft acquired the project and reviewed the design. This review resulted in a reduction of the generating capacity to a final 402 MW. The revised proposal secured approval from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in December 2013.

Following all necessary approvals by 2012, including those from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, North Norfolk District Council, Breckland Council, and the Marine Management Organisation, construction began in the third quarter of 2014. This project secured financing of around GBP 1.25 billion and was developed in a single phase.

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Power Plant became fully operational in late 2017. It utilizes 67 Siemens Gamesa SWT-6.0-154 wind turbines and boasts a long-term power purchase agreement with Danske Commodities for 15 years at a contracted capacity of 281.4 MW. This agreement ensures the project generates revenue to offset its development costs.

Project Timeline

Technical Specifications

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm is using 67 Siemens 6MW wind turbines. These turbines are mounted on monopile foundations securely fixed to the seabed at depths ranging from 18 to 25 meters. Each turbine has a three-section tower, a nacelle housing the key operational components, and three individual rotor blades. Notably, these 75-meter-long blades were manufactured using Siemens's innovative single-cast Integral Blade technology.

Electricity generated by the wind turbines is collected by an offshore substation before being exported to the shore via a subsea cable. This 132kV cable route stretches for approximately 38 kilometers (24 miles) along the seabed from the wind farm to its landfall point at Weybourne Hope on the North Norfolk coast.

Onshore transmission utilizes a 48-kilometer (30-mile) underground cable laid within ducts at a depth of 1.4 meters. This cable carries the electricity from the landfall point to the substation situated at Necton in the Breckland district of Norfolk. Finally, a 400kV overhead line transmits the clean renewable energy generated by the Dudgeon wind farm from the onshore substation into the UK's National Grid.

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind project's operations and maintenance base is conveniently located at Great Yarmouth Port's river harbor, providing logistical support for the wind farm's ongoing operations.

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Contractors Involved

Project Cost

The Dudgeon project achieved significant cost optimization. Initially, upon the final investment decision in 2014, the project was estimated to cost GBP 1.5 billion. Through effective project management and favorable offshore wind market conditions, the final construction cost was reduced by more than 15%. This resulted in a total project cost of approximately GBP 1.25 billion.

Read: Top Five Upcoming Offshore Wind Farm Power Projects in Europe

Current Status & Future Outlook

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm is a successful operational project providing profitable renewable energy to the UK. Equinor assumed complete responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the wind turbines, following two years managed by Siemens.

The future outlook for the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm appears bright. In a significant development, plans to expand the Dudgeon and neighboring Sheringham Shoal wind farms were approved by the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. This expansion project, co-led by Equinor, aims to double the capacity of both wind farms.

The addition of up to 53 new turbines is expected to generate enough clean energy to power an additional 785,000 homes. This expansion signifies the UK's commitment to renewable energy and the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm's role in that future.

Summary

The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Power Plant, located 32 km off the coast of North Norfolk, UK, is a greenfield wind energy project commissioned in 2017. With a capacity of 402 MW, it powers over 410,000 homes and represents a GBP 1.25 billion investment. Equipped with 67 Siemens turbines, it generates revenue of GBP 150 per MWh. Construction started in 2014, and Equinor took over operations in 2019. Approved expansion plans aim to double capacity and supply an additional 785,000 homes with clean energy, highlighting the UK's commitment to renewables.

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