Dogger Bank South offshore wind farms secure development consent orders
Development consent orders have been approved for the two Dogger Bank South offshore wind farms.
Global clean power leaders RWE and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC, known as Masdar, have welcomed the decision made by Lord Whitehead on behalf of the UK Energy Secretary’s legal authority.
The proposed wind farms, DBS West and DBS East, are expected to have a combined installed capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW) and would be capable of producing enough electricity to power the equivalent of approximately three million UK homes annually.
The wind farms are set to be located more than 100km off the northeast coast of England, with the potential to create significant opportunities for businesses and communities in Yorkshire, the Humber, and wider UK.
In January, the projects successfully secured Contracts for Difference with the UK Government through the Allocation Round Seven.
The Development Consent Order application was originally made in June 2024, with more than 1,000 documents submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for review, and 10 online examination hearings being held.
RWE and Masdar will now conduct detailed final design work and progress procurement decisions with the aim of taking a final investment decision in 2027.
The projects are being developed as a joint venture between RWE (51 per cent) and Masdar (49 per cent).
RWE, a headline sponsor of the recent Offshore Wind Connections exhibition and conference held in Hull, is behind the Sofia, Triton Knoll and Humber Gateway offshore wind projects, operated and maintained out of Grimsby, with Masdar a diverse, de-risked portfolio totalling over 65 gigawatts across six continents, including the world’s fastest-growing energy markets. It is jointly owned by TAQA, ADNOC and Mubadala, and targeting a portfolio capacity of 100GW by 2030.