Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has won a contract to deliver civil enabling works on the third phase of the world’s biggest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank.
The North Wales-based civil engineering company’s activity will include trenching, duct installation and joint bays for the 2km connection between the site’s converter station near Redcar and the grid infrastructure, with the initial work expected to begin in March 2023.
Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be constructed more than 130km out to sea off the north-east coast of England, where wind speeds are higher and more consistent than near to the shore.
Due to its size and scale, Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built in three consecutive 1.2GW phases; Dogger Bank A, Dogger Bank B and Dogger Bank C.
Each phase is expected to generate around 6TWh of electricity annually, totalling 18TWh annually across all three phases – enough renewable electricity to supply 5 per cent of the UK’s demand and equivalent to powering six million UK homes.
Jones Bros is already installing more than 80 miles of cable for the first two phases of the globally-significant renewable energy development in East Yorkshire.
Dogger Bank A and B is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40 per cent), Equinor (40 per cent) and Eni (20 per cent).
In November 2021 SSE Renewables and Equinor, 50:50 joint venture partners in Dogger Bank C, announced Eni will take a 20 per cent stake in the final phase, with SSE Renewables and Equinor maintaining 40 per cent stakes each. The deal is expected to complete in Q1 2022, subject to regulatory approvals.
Contracts director for Jones Bros, Eryl Roberts, said: “As this will follow on from construction of the converter station infrastructure for the same project, we will benefit from a considerable body of local knowledge built up in recent years.
“As well as this, we will be able to continue to invest in the north east’s regional economy, including working with subcontractors from the area, as well as sustaining apprenticeships.
“The lengthy lead-in gives us a relatively long design period to develop and implement new and innovative solutions for the scheme in partnership with the client.
“This will include plans to minimise disruption. The route passes across a number of key roads such as the A1053, so this will mean conducting horizontal drilling in addition to the trench digging that will be used for the majority of the distance.”
Dogger Bank C onshore package manager, Stephen Reynolds, said: “Building on the work already underway on the first phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Jones Bros will now play a vital role in helping connect the windfarm to the National Grid infrastructure for the third phase.
“We look forward to extending our relationship with this UK-based firm, as we continue to build this record-breaking windfarm.”
Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros’ leadership team consists of members of the second and third generations of the founding family. It employs approximately 500 people.
The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.
The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced more than 40 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited more than 100 apprentices during the past three years.
