GE Renewable Energy plans to launch new blade manufacturing plant on Teesside for Dogger Bank wind turbines

Illustration of Dogger Bank wind turbine — (Illustration: GE Renewable Energy.)

Blade factory is expected to create up to 750 direct and up to 1,500 indirect jobs in the region

Following significant order from Dogger Bank Wind Farm, LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy Business, plans to open a brand-new manufacturing plant in the North East of England dedicated to the production of turbine blades for GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X
The plant at Teesworks will produce sets of 107m blades for GE’s Haliade-X offshore wind turbine
The Haliade-X turbines will be installed on Dogger Bank Wind Farm, more than 130km from the Yorkshire coast
Blades produced in Teesside will be installed at Dogger Bank from 2024 onwards
Today’s announcement brings the total number of jobs supported by the construction and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the UK region to more than 2,500

10 March 2021: GE Renewable Energy has today unveiled plans to open a new world-class blade manufacturing facility on Teesside in the North East of England to support the growing offshore wind market in the UK and Europe and to produce blades for its Haliade-X turbine that will power Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

The significant order of Haliade-X offshore wind turbines from Dogger Bank Wind Farm was a decisive factor in GE Renewable Energy’s decision to green light the new manufacturing plant, delivering a long-term renewable energy jobs boost to the region. The UK Government has also provided support to GE Renewable Energy to set up this new plant near Teesside as part of a greater effort to develop an industry and supply chain for the development of offshore wind in the country. This follows the designation of Teesside as one of the UK’s newest freeports.

Commenting on the investments it made for the new port of Teesside, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Teesside will continue to drive forward our green industrial revolution as we capitalise on new opportunities to produce clean energy through a brand new offshore wind port on the River Tees. It will not only create thousands of jobs and harness the skills and expertise of this great industrial heartland, but also boost investment into the area as we build back greener.”

LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy business, will set up and operate the state-of-the-art new facility at Teesworks, an ideal location to serve the vast offshore wind potential of the North Sea. It is anticipated the factory, which will start producing the 107-metre blades in 2023, will create up to 750 direct jobs, and around 1,500 indirect jobs, in the region. This brings the total number of new jobs supported by the construction and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North East of England to more than 2,500 so far.

A substantial number of Haliade-X blades for Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be among the first orders to be delivered from the new manufacturing plant. Blades produced at Teesworks will be installed from 2024 onwards with the final number of blades from the plant destined for Dogger Bank to be confirmed in due course.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm Project Director, Steve Wilson, said: “We’re incredibly proud to say Dogger Bank Wind Farm is the anchor project for the blade facility announcement by GE today. Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a world-leading development pushing the boundaries of offshore wind development and playing a key role in delivering the ambition to increase UK supply chain capacity and capability. Through our turbine supply order with GE, the Dogger Bank project is the catalyst for this important GE investment in Teesside, harnessing skills and expertise in the local area and delivering long-term benefits in the UK’s offshore wind sector.”

Jerôme Pécresse, President and CEO of GE Renewable Energy said: “This new plant will contribute to the development of an industrial cluster dedicated to offshore wind in the North East of England. GE is delighted to be announcing a commitment to develop a new talent pool dedicated to renewable energy through the hiring and training of future employees at our new plant. The UK’s target to commission 40 GW of offshore wind by 2030 is ambitious and requires that we invest in local production capabilities to accompany this effort.”

Confirmation that part of the turbine blades for Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be manufactured in the UK delivers on a key commitment by the wind farm’s joint developers SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni to support the development of a UK supply chain, creating substantial local jobs and maximising UK supply chain opportunities.

Alistair Philips-Davies, SSE Chief Executive, said: “As a UK-headquartered business we’re passionate about creating highly skilled and well-paid jobs here in Britain and using our purchasing power to support the indigenous supply chain. We’re delighted to play our part with Dogger Bank anchoring this multimillion-pound investment in Teesside by GE and creating hundreds of long-term green jobs in the north east. The UK is leading the world in offshore wind and the creation of this world-class manufacturing facility here on our shores will help drive this industry forward in the decade to come.”

Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor, said: “A project the size of Dogger Bank creates economic ripple effects, and with its operational base in the North East we are so pleased that our ground-breaking project has enabled this new blade manufacturing facility in Teesside to grow the UK offshore wind supply industry. Securing significant contracts with Dogger Bank enables suppliers to invest in the UK, creating jobs and supporting the industry’s ambition to increase local content. The global economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, but investment in offshore wind remains at a record high. Dogger Bank will not only generate renewable electricity for millions of homes across the UK, it also brings inward investment, and hundreds of highly skilled jobs.”

GE’s Haliade-X is the most powerful offshore wind turbine in operation today. The Haliade-X 13MW turbine was confirmed for the first two phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in September 2020, with a record-breaking order for 190 of the innovative machines. GE Renewable Energy is preferred supplier for the third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, where it will install its uprated Haliade-X 14MW. The agreement for Dogger Bank C will be finalised in the first quarter of 2021, confirming the order and number of turbines for the project’s third phase, and will be subject to Dogger Bank C reaching Financial Close in late 2021.

The three phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm will have a combined installed generation capacity of 3.6GW, enough to power six million UK homes. When complete in 2026, it will be the world’s biggest offshore wind farm.

The 2.4GW Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). The A and B phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm reached financial close in November 2020 at competitive terms underlining the attractiveness of the UK offshore wind assets and the confidence in the joint venture. The 1.2GW third phase of the wind farm, Dogger Bank C, is a 50:50 joint venture between Equinor and SSE Renewables and is being developed under a different timeline.

SSE Renewables is leading on the construction and delivery of all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will operate Dogger Bank Wind Farm on completion.

The electricity generated by the turbines at Dogger Bank, which are between 130km and over 200km from shore, will be transmitted onshore via subsea cables. Due to the distance of each of the Dogger Bank phases offshore, it will be the first wind farm in the UK to utilise an HVDC connection. The use of an HVDC connection will ensure the renewable energy being transmitted over the long distances from the Dogger Bank offshore to the onshore grid connections in England’s East Riding and Teesside will be achieved efficiently while minimising losses.

For further information:

Media contact – Dogger Bank Wind Farm:
Jason Cooke, SSE Renewables
Jason.cooke@sse.com
+353 (0) 86 264 6710

Media contact – Dogger Bank Wind Farm:
Rachel Lawrence, SSE Renewables
rachel.lawrence@sse.com
+44 (0) 7385 368783

Media contact – GE Renewable Energy:
Sebastien Duchamp
sebastien.duchamp@ge.com
+33 6 73 19 59 64

About Dogger Bank Wind Farm:

The 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when completed in 2026.
It is being built in three 1.2GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C.
Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Eni (20%). Dogger Bank C is a 50:50 joint venture between Equinor and SSE Renewables.
SSE Renewables is lead operator for the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will be lead operator of the wind farm for the duration of the wind farm’s operational phase
Financial Close on Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B was reached in November 2020. Financial Close for Dogger Bank C is expected in late 2021.
Consent for Dogger Bank Wind Farm was granted in 2015.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located in the North Sea, with each phase more than 130km from the Yorkshire Coast.
Onshore construction began in 2020 and is currently underway for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B, with offshore construction on Dogger Bank A due to begin in Q2 2022. First power is expected in Summer 2023 and Summer 2024 for Dogger Bank A and B, respectively, with commercial operations to follow around 6 months later.
Turbine installation for Dogger Bank C will begin in 2025.
More than 2,500 new UK jobs have been announced so far that are being supported by the construction and operation of Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
These include up to 750 direct and around 1,500 indirect jobs associated with the set-up of a new world-class blade manufacturing facility on Teesside by LM Wind Power, a GE Renewable Energy business, with production due to start in 2023.
120 skilled jobs will be created at marshalling harbour Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool during construction, and 200 skilled jobs will be based offshore and at the Port of Tyne for Operations and Maintenance of the wind farm once operational.
Dogger Bank A and B has confirmed GE’s Haliade-X 13MW as the turbine powering the first two phases of the project. As the first order for the Haliade-X 13MW, installation at Dogger Bank A will be the first time the turbine is installed in the world.
Dogger Bank C will install GE’s upscaled Haliade-X 14MW turbine.
One rotation of the Haliade-X turbine blades can power one UK home for more than two days.
The wind turbines will be installed on monopile foundations.
The project will be the first High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) connected wind farm in the UK due to its distance from shore.
For more information about Dogger Bank Wind Farm visit www.doggerbank.com

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, its strategy is to drive the transition to a net zero future through the world class development, construction and operation of renewable energy assets.

SSE Renewables owns nearly 2GW of operational onshore wind capacity with over 1GW under development. Its 1,459MW 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 largest offshore wind development pipeline across the UK and Ireland at up to 7GW, of which around 2.6GW is in construction or consented. It is currently constructing the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea, a joint venture with Equinor. It is also building Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, the 1.1GW Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm in the Firth of Forth, which is a joint venture with Total.

SSE Renewables is a Principal Partner to the UK Government for COP26 UN climate summit taking place in Glasgow in November 2021.

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 crucial energy 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, both produced with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry. It operates the Mariner oil field, one of the largest and most digitally advanced offshore investments in the UK over the last decade, and is progressing Rosebank, the largest undeveloped field in the UK.

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

About Eni

Eni is an energy company operating in 66 countries worldwide and employing around 32,000 people. The company operates in oil and gas exploration, development and production, refining and marketing, trading and shipping, chemical, renewable energies and innovative solutions in circular economy. Eni’s mission is inspired by the UN 2030 Agenda and these values are reflected in its business model, itself based on three pillars of long-term carbon neutrality, operational excellence and the creation of alliances for local development.

The new Eni is based on efficiency, integration and the deployment of new technologies.

Decarbonisation is structurally embedded in our overall strategy and ambitions and in Sustainalytics’ last update as of September 2020, Eni has achieved an ESG Risk Rating score of 25.7, ranking in the top 3% amongst its peers in the Energy Sector.

Eni has set the next intermediate target for renewables in 2035, when the company will generate 25 GW of installed capacity from renewable sources.

Eni is active in the UK as operator of the Liverpool Bay Area project in NW England, for which it was recently awarded a CO2 appraisal and storage licence by the Oil and Gas Authority.

Eni, together with BP, Equinor, National Grid, Shell and Total, has formed the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), with BP as operator. The partnership aims to develop offshore CO2 transport and storage infrastructure that will serve the two decarbonisation projects of the industrial clusters of NE England: Net Zero Teesside (of Which Eni is partner, and Zero Carbon Humber.

The two projects plan the combined capture and storage of climate-changing emissions from industrial sites and power plants, and the development of market for low emission hydrogen production (blue hydrogen).

UK authority consider this kind of project vital to support the Country’s effort to cut by 50% industrial emissions by 2030, while at the same time providing new jobs for the local communities.

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, and grid solutions as well as hybrid renewables and digital services offerings, GE Renewable Energy has installed more than 400 gigawatts of clean renewable energy and equipped more than 90 percent of utilities worldwide with its grid solutions. With nearly 40,000 employees present in more than 80 countries, GE Renewable Energy creates value for customers seeking to power the world with affordable, reliable and sustainable green electrons.