RWE and Masdar have reached a significant milestone for the Dogger Bank South (DBS) Offshore Wind Farms, with their Development Consent Order (DCO) application accepted into the UK Planning Inspectorate’s examination phase. The DBS East and DBS West wind farms, located over 100km off the northeast coast of England, have the potential to provide electricity to three million UK homes. The projects, featuring up to 200 turbines and a combined capacity of three gigawatts, have moved into the pre-examination phase, set for public scrutiny in late 2024. The two projects are expected to be capable of powering up to 3 million typical UK homes with green electricity.
Investment for the Humber region
The development and construction of these wind farms are expected to contribute nearly £1 billion to the UK economy, including £400 million to the Humber region. Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind, expressed excitement over this milestone, highlighting the partnership with Masdar and their shared commitment to the UK’s renewable energy goals. DBS offshore wind farms are being jointly developed by RWE and Masdar.
Source: RWE
Husain Al Meer, Director, Global Offshore Wind at Masdar, said: “We are delighted that, together with our partners RWE, we have taken this significant step toward advancing our offshore wind capacity in the UK, one of our key strategic markets. At Masdar, we are committed to developing clean and affordable energy that supports countries in their energy transitions, catalyzes economic growth and creates new jobs.
“The DBS Offshore Wind Farms demonstrate Masdar’s dedication to building the equitable energy system of tomorrow, and we are excited that we are one step closer to making it a reality.”
RWE leads the development, construction, and operation of the projects, holding a 51% share, while Masdar holds 49%, following a shareholding agreement finalized in February 2024. The DBS projects, under Agreements for Lease with The Crown Estate since January 2023, underscore a robust partnership between the companies.
The partnership was announced in December 2023 as RWE entered into Agreements for Lease for the two DBS projects with The Crown Estate in January 2023. In the announcement it was stated “Construction could start as early as 2025, first 800 megawatts (MW) of electricity is planned to come online in 2029 with the aim to fully commission the projects by late 2031”.
These projects are expected to make significant regional economic contributions, supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions, and enhancing economic growth and energy security. After securing the DCO, the next steps involve obtaining Contracts for Difference, followed by financing and construction.