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GE Renewable Energy launches the uprated Haliade-X 13MW wind turbine for the UK’s Dogger Bank Wind Farm

  • GE Renewable Energy to supply 190 Haliade-X turbines for Dogger Bank A and B
  • The project will be first in the world to feature the 13MW variant of GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X platform
  • GE confirms marshaling harbor activities at Able Seaton in Hartlepool will create around 120 jobs and service activities from the Port of Tyne will create around 120 jobs

Paris, September 22nd 2020.– GE Renewable Energy announced today that it has finalized supply contracts (subject to final notification to proceed) with Dogger Bank Wind Farm (a 50:50 joint venture between SSERenewables and Equinor) for the first two phases of what will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm.These first two phases (Dogger Bank A & B) will each feature 95 Haliade-X 13MW wind turbines.

The agreements will include a total of 190 units of the 13MW Haliade-X wind turbine, and a five-year Service & Warranty agreement to provide operational support for the wind turbines. GE’s Service team will be co-located with the Dogger Bank Operational and Maintenance team, based out of the Port of Tyne.

The Haliade-X 13MW is an enhanced version of the successful 12MW unit which has been operating in Rotterdamsince November 2019 and which recently secured its provisional type certificate§ from DNV-GL. The uprated13MW Haliade-X will also feature 107-meter long blades and 220-meter rotor. One spin of the Haliade-X 13MWcan generate enough electricity to power a UK household for more than two days.

John Lavelle, President & CEO, Offshore Wind at GE Renewable Energy, said, “We are delighted to take thenext step in developing the most advanced proven technology in the market. At GE, innovation is in our DNA, andthat is why we continue to innovate, enhance and develop the Haliade-X platform to meet market demands todeliver offshore wind as a competitive and affordable source of renewable energy. In signing these agreementswith Dogger Bank, our Haliade-X technology will now have an important role to play in the UK’s offshore windambitions (40GW by 2030) and greenhouse emission reduction to “net-zero” by 2050.”

Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “I am thrilled to see so many green jobs on the way to the North East ofEngland thanks to our world-leading offshore wind industry. Projects like Dogger Bank are absolutely crucial to building back greener from the coronavirus pandemic – creating jobs, growing the economy and tackling climatechange. I look forward to watching its progress in the months and years ahead.”

Peter Stephenson, ABLE UK’s Executive Chairman, commented: “We have enjoyed a long and constructive relationship with GE Renewable Energy culminating in today’s announcement – it’s a massive vote of confidence for the company and the UK. Our sustained investment at Able Seaton Port means we can providea bespoke and tailor-made solution for Dogger Bank.

“We are delighted that 120 skilled jobs will be based here at the Port, in this exciting and growing industry. The offshore wind sector will increase four-fold by 2030 through the Sector Deal, and with the increasinglydemanding targets for low carbon power generation, there is an unparalleled level of market visibility. Combine this with the sectors’ extraordinary efforts in terms of developing new products and significantly reducing costs, this industry is set to become a dominant factor in a post Covid 19 UK economy.”

Steve Wilson, Dogger Bank’s Project Director at SSE Renewables said: “Signing the contract with GERenewable Energy is not just great news for Dogger Bank and GE, but for the wider offshore wind industry, markingthe first time a 13MW turbine will be installed in the world.

“In addition to this, today’s announcement will bring huge economic benefits to the North East of England, where120 skilled jobs will be created during construction of the windfarm, along with 120 skilled jobs during themaintenance phase.

“These turbines are a true testament of how hard the offshore wind industry is working to continually innovate and drive down costs and we look forward to working with GE Renewable Energy to help us deliver the largestoffshore wind farm in the world.”

Halfdan Brustad, vice president for Dogger Bank at Equinor, said: “We want Dogger Bank to be a flagship projectthat leads the way in both digitalization and innovative technology, so it is a great honor to confirm that this project will be the first in the world to use these powerful turbines.

“The sheer scale of Dogger Bank brings huge opportunities to the UK. As well as being home to the world’s largestoffshore wind farm, the North East will benefit from hundreds of jobs and local supply chain opportunities. Welook forward to working with our partners and suppliers to build up a skilled team in the area, to operate andmaintain these turbines for the lifetime of the wind farm from our new base, which will be constructed at thePort of Tyne.”

The Service & Warranty agreements for the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm will account for around 120of the Operational and Maintenance jobs that will be based from the Port of Tyne. In addition, GE RenewableEnergy has also confirmed that it will establish its marshalling construction team activities at Able Seaton Port inHartlepool. This port will serve as the hub for all equipment marshalling, installation and commissioningactivities, resulting in the creation of an estimated 120 jobs during the construction period. Recruitmentactivities are likely to begin early next year.

The contracts with Dogger Bank Wind Farm are subject to a Notice to Proceed from project joint venture partnersSSE Renewables and Equinor. Financial close on Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B is expected in late 2020.

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located over 130 km off the north-east coast of England and will be capable ofpowering up to 4.5 million homes each year when complete in 2026. Due to its size and scale, the site is beingbuilt in three consecutive phases; Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C. Each project is expectedto generate around 6TWh of electricity annually.

The Haliade-X platform continues to undergo a rigorous series of tests at the UK’s Offshore Renewable Energy(ORE) Catapult testing facility in Blyth, at Boston’s Wind Technology Testing Center in the US, and at the prototype site in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This prototype unit in the Netherlands, which set a world record inJanuary 2020 by being the first wind turbine to produce 288 MWh in one day, will start operating at 13MW in the coming months as part of its ongoing testing and certification process.

GE Renewable Energy will continue its testing and Research & Development activities on Haliade-X platform in the UK by partnering with ORE Catapult and other institutions to develop programs that reduce the time peoplespend at sea, to increase safety and the use of robotics, digital and remote operations to help reduce energycosts.

GE has a long history serving the UK market, with 10’000 employees across Power, Renewable Energy, Healthcare, Aviation, Capital and Digital businesses

HALIADE-X 13 MW FIGURES

  • 13MW capacity
  • 220-meter rotor
  • 248 meters high
  • 107-meter long blades
  • 38,000 m2 swept area
  • One Haliade-X 13MW can save up to 52,000* metric tons of CO2, which is the equivalent of theemissions generated by 11,000* vehicles in one year.
  • One GE Haliade-X 13MW spin could power a UK household for more than two days

§ IECRE Provisional RNA Component Certificate.

*According to EPA Greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator

About GE Renewable Energy

GE Renewable Energy is a $15 billion business which combines one of the broadest portfolios in the renewable energy industry to provide end-to-end solutions for our customers demanding reliable and affordable green power. Combining onshore and offshore wind, blades, hydro, storage, utility-scale solar, andgrid solutions as well as hybrid renewables and digital services offerings, GE Renewable Energy has installedmore than 400+ gigawatts of clean renewable energy and equipped more than 90 percent of utilities worldwidewith its grid solutions. With nearly 40,000 employees present in more than 80 countries, GE Renewable Energycreates value for customers seeking to power the world with affordable, reliable and sustainable green electrons.

Follow us at www.ge.com/renewableenergy, on www.linkedin.com/company/gerenewableenergy, or on www.twitter.com/GErenewables

For further information:

Media contact – GE Renewable Energy: Sebastien Duchamp; GE Renewable Energy sebastien.duchamp@ge.com

+33 (0) 673 195 964

About Dogger Bank Wind Farm


    • A 50:50 joint venture between Equinor and SSE Renewables.
    • Financial Close on Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B is expected in late 2020 with Financial Close forDogger Bank C expected in late 2021.
    • Consent was granted in 2015.
    • Located in the North Sea, with each phase more than 130 km from the Yorkshire Coast.
    • Each phase of the project (Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C) will have an installedcapacity of 1.2GW and will be able to power 1.5 million homes. Together, they can provide approximately 5% of the UK’s estimated electricity generation.
    • Construction activities started in 2020; while turbine installation is scheduled to begin in 2023 atDogger Bank A.
    • The first phase, Dogger Bank A, is expected to be operational in 2023.
    • The wind turbines will be installed on monopile foundations. Preferred supplier for foundation fabricationwill be announced in 2020.
    • The project will be the first in the UK to use a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systemdue to long distance to grid connection point.

About Able Seaton Port

Able Seaton Port (ASP) is a 51-hectare (126 acre) site and has some of the strongest quays in Europe which havebeen constructed particularly to suit the requirements of the offshore energy sector.

ASP has the capacity to handle virtually all offshore vessels that are operating in the North Sea. ASP has largemobile harbour and crawler cranes already available along with self- propelled mobile transporters (SPMTs) andother plant and equipment to handle offshore wind components.

In 2018 ASP provided the installation base and all onshore handling activities for the Hornsea One offshore wind farm foundation package. In the 12 months from mid- September 2020, ASP will be the installation basefor the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm turbine package.

About SSE Renewables

SSE Renewables is a leading developer, owner and operator of renewable energy across the UK and Ireland,with a portfolio of around 4GW of onshore wind, offshore wind and hydro. Part of the FTSE-listed SSE plc, itsstrategy is to drive the transition to a net zero future through the world class development, construction andoperation of renewable energy assets.

SSE Renewables owns nearly 2GW of operational onshore wind capacity with over 1GW under development. Its1,459MW hydro portfolio includes 300MW of pumped storage and 750MW of flexible hydro.

Its operational offshore wind portfolio consists of 487MW across two offshore joint venture sites, Beatrice and Greater Gabbard, both of which it operates on behalf of its asset partners. SSE Renewables has the largestoffshore wind development pipeline in the UK and Ireland at over 6GW and has an onshore wind pipeline acrossboth markets in excess of 1GW.

About Equinor in the UK

Equinor has been operating in the UK for over 35 years. Headquartered in Norway, the company employs 22,000 people globally, and over 650 in the UK. As a broad energy company, Equinor is committed to long term value creation in a low carbon future  and targeting carbon neutral operations globally by 2030.

Equinor is the UK’s leading energy provider and supports the UK economy by investing billions in crucialenergy infrastructure, working with over 700 suppliers across the country. Its energy supplies from Norway meet more than one quarter of the UK’s demand for natural gas and around one fifth of its demand for oil, bothproduced with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry. It operates the Mariner oil field, one of thelargest and most digitally advanced offshore investments in the UK over the last decade, and is progressingRosebank, the largest undeveloped field in the UK.

Both projects support hundreds of jobs and economic activity in Scotland. Equinor also operates two offshorewind farms off the East Coast of England, Dudgeon and Sheringham Shoal. It is a pioneer in floating windtechnology with Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating wind farm off the coast of Peterhead, which ispartnered with Batwind, the world’s first battery for offshore wind. And with its partner SSE Renewables, Equinor isbuilding the largest offshore wind farm in the world, Dogger Bank, off the North East coast of England. It is also aleader in both carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen, and is developing a number ofprojects in Europe, including in the Humber and Teesside regions of North East England.

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