RWE selects Van Oord for EPCI contract at Sofia offshore wind farm in UK

RWE, a leading German multinational energy company, has awarded Van Oord, a prominent Dutch maritime contracting company, the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) contract for the monopile foundations and array cables of the 1.4 GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm. Located in the UK waters of the North Sea, the Sofia wind farm, formerly known as Dogger Bank Teesside B, is one of the world’s largest offshore wind projects.

Situated on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, approximately 195 kilometers from the North East coast of England, the Sofia Wind Farm is set to become a significant contributor to the UK’s renewable energy capacity. Van Oord will utilize its UK branch MPI Offshore as a logistics hub to manage the comprehensive scope of work. The company plans to employ its offshore installation vessel, Aeolus, to install the 100 extended monopile foundations. Additionally, the 350 kilometers of array cables will be installed by the cable-laying vessel Nexus. The fabrication of the foundations and array cables will be outsourced to a subcontractor.

Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Operating Officer Wind Offshore Global at RWE, expressed confidence in the partnership: “On Dogger Bank, we are realizing one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms. Van Oord is a well-known partner to us, with Sofia the fifth and largest UK offshore wind farm that we have worked on together. This gives us a wealth of experience to draw on as we progress the project through its construction phase. Sofia is a flagship for RWE Renewables in terms of technology and innovation, and for the UK through regional supply chain opportunities and as a major contributor to the nation’s net zero ambitions.”

Pieter van Oord, CEO of Van Oord, also highlighted the strategic importance of the project: “We are extremely proud to be working together with RWE Renewables as the EPCI contractor for the permanent works of the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm. By contributing to the realization of one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, Van Oord is again at the forefront of projects that contribute to the transition to renewable energy. Sofia will make a major contribution to the UK’s climate goals. The project will be executed by MPI Offshore from our Stokesley office in Teesside and will deliver excellent opportunities for the local supply chain and labor market and to support the industry’s UK Sector Deal ambitions.”

The financial investment decision for the project was scheduled for Q1 2021, with the foundation and array package tasks expected to commence shortly thereafter. Onshore construction at Sofia’s converter station site in Teesside was planned to begin early the following year. The Sofia wind farm is slated for installation in 2024, with the first power generation expected by the end of 2024 or early 2025.