Spotlight on Dogger Bank HVDC system

Imperial researchers put the spotlight on Dogger Bank HVDC system in new report

Press Release 17 June 2025

A report examining the rollout of High-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technology on the world’s largest offshore wind farm has been published by researchers from world-leading STEMB university Imperial College London today.

Imperial Business Partners member SSE, and Imperial Partner Hitachi Energy, gave the researchers exclusive access to experts working on the Dogger Bank Wind Farm to author an independent review examining the planning and installation of the wind farm’s three-phase transmission system.

The launch of the report coincides with the start of Renewable UK’s Global Offshore Wind Conference in London today. At the event. Hitachi Energy will host a roundtable session with industry representatives to discuss key themes highlighted by the report’s authors and the Dogger Bank, A, B & C project as a showcase of best practice solutions for future large scale energy project delivery.

Read the full report…Dogger Bank Wind Farm: An evaluation of challenges, lessons and opportunities from the UK’s first HVDC offshore wind farm

The Dogger Bank Wind farm is currently in construction in the North Sea, 80 miles (129 kilometres) from the Yorkshire Coast, and is developed by joint venture partners SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Vårgrønn. Hitachi Energy was responsible for delivering the wind farm’s three HVDC converter systems over the last five years.

The 3.6 GW wind farm is being developed in three phases of 1.2 GW each, and together, they will form the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

The new report, researched and written by Kaylen Camacho McCluskey and Dr Aidan Rhodes via Imperial Consultants, explores the challenges of planning and executing an HVDC system on an unprecedented scale and draws conclusions about how this technology could help the UK on its journey to net zero.

The authors drew on the experience of representatives from SSE, Hitachi Energy, and Equinor to provide readers with a detailed account of how the system was developed and to outline clear pathways for future developers.

In their conclusions, Kaylen and Aidan presented how best practice from Dogger Bank could be used to steer the UK’s offshore wind industry towards:

• Greater adoption of HVDC technology and projects
• Strong, stable domestic HVDC supply chains
• Resilient, integrated networks
• Long-term, collaborative business partnerships

Dr Aidan Rhodes, report author and Research Fellow for Energy Policy at Imperial College London, said:

“Wind energy is the UK’s richest renewable energy source and with the right infrastructure and planning could form the backbone of a secure, home-grown energy system fit for our Net Zero future.

Speaking with individuals directly involved in delivering Dogger Bank and its HVDC transmission system, the resilience required to execute a project of this scale, novelty, and complexity became very clear. I think the innovation here lies as much in the obvious technological achievements, like the 1.2 GW offshore converter station, as it does in the deeply collaborative approach.

 “It’s been insightful to hear about experiences from the project, to reflect on how the offshore wind industry has evolved since Dogger Bank was first approved, and to consider how these lessons can be leveraged to address some very pressing challenges, grow domestic expertise in HVDC and support the industry on the road to Net Zero.”

Alan Borland, Turbine Director for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said:

“Designing and building a world-leading wind farm is a hugely challenging and complex process, with an inevitable amount of highs and lows. As wind farms grow in scale, with increasing distances from shore and technology continuing to evolve, we expect these engineering challenges are only going to become greater.

“In a world where we’re all striving towards the same goals, we think it’s important for developers like ourselves to give future pioneers of offshore wind the chance to learn from our successes and challenges.

“The result of our work with academics from Imperial College London is an insightful document that shines a light on the workings of an offshore wind development team and constructive observations about what the future might hold for HVDC in the journey to Net Zero.”

Grant McKay, Regional Sales Manager from Hitachi Energy, said:

“Dogger Bank is a landmark project that offers invaluable insights for future large-scale energy infrastructure developments in the UK and beyond. This report demonstrates that offshore HVDC transmission systems can be built at scale and speed when underpinned by long-term partnerships and a shared commitment to functionality and efficiency.

“The report reaffirms the critical importance of building resilient integrated networks to ensure a stable and secure energy supply. It also underscores the value of collaboration, where aligning capacity, resources, and expertise leads to greater efficiency and better outcomes.

“We’re incredibly proud of how Dogger Bank is positively impacting energy production and resilience, and the report offers essential considerations for stakeholders developing offshore HVDC connections.”

About Dogger Bank Wind Farm

• The 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when completed in 2027.
• It is being built in three phases of 1.2 GW each: Dogger Bank A, B, and C.
• The project is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn.
• SSE Renewables is the lead operator for the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will be the lead operator of the wind farm on completion, for its expected operational life of around 35 years.  Vårgrønn provides specialist offshore wind expertise to the project.
• Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located in the North Sea, with each phase more than 130km from the Yorkshire Coast.
• Dogger Bank A began generating renewable energy for the first time in October 2023.
• Dogger Bank Wind Farm is fully committed to supporting the UK offshore wind supply chain. To date, we estimate more than 2,000 UK roles have been created or supported in relation to the construction and operation of the wind farm.
• The construction programme includes installation of 277 GE Vernova Haliade-X 13MW and 14 MW turbines.
• One rotation of the Haliade-X turbine blades can power one UK home for more than two days.
• The wind turbines are being installed on monopile foundations.
• Dogger Bank is the first High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) connected wind farm in the UK due to its distance from shore, introducing new transmission systems to the UK and paving the way for other large offshore wind farms.
• For more information about Dogger Bank Wind Farm, visit www.doggerbank.com

About SSE Renewables  

SSE Renewables is a leading developer and operator of renewable energy generation, focusing on onshore and offshore wind, hydro, solar and battery storage. Part of energy infrastructure company SSE plc, UK-listed in the FTSE100, it is delivering clean power assets to increase SSE’s operational renewable generation capacity as part of a five-year clean energy plan to 2027, the ~£17.5bn Net Zero Acceleration Programme (NZAP) Plus. This includes delivery of the world’s largest offshore wind farm in construction, the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm. SSE Renewables has a team of around 2,000 renewable energy professionals with a passion for championing clean energy delivery, each based across the markets in which it operates. It operates across its core UK and Ireland markets, as well as in carefully selected international markets in Continental Europe and Japan.

About Imperial Business Partners

SSE collaborates with Imperial through Imperial Business Partners (IBP) which is an industry engagement programme that develops collaboration opportunities and delivers valuable business activities across Imperial, helping major global organisations find the right experts for their business challenges and opportunities.

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