Dogger Bank D: Expanding the World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm

The world’s largest offshore wind farm could soon grow even bigger after SSE Renewables and Equinor finalised a seabed lease agreement with The Crown Estate to progress plans for Dogger Bank D. This latest phase has the potential to add up to 1.5GW of additional capacity, building on the 3.6GW already under development across phases A, B and C.

If the project proceeds, Dogger Bank D would take the total capacity beyond 5GW, enough to provide clean electricity to millions of homes and further accelerate the UK’s progress towards its net zero targets.

Dogger Bank D will be located around 210 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast, in the eastern portion of the Dogger Bank C lease area. Plans include up to 113 fixed-bottom turbines and two offshore substations across a 262 square kilometre seabed site. Electricity would be transmitted back to the national grid via infrastructure in East Riding of Yorkshire.

SSE and Equinor, who are equal partners in Dogger Bank D, will still need to secure a Development Consent Order and make a final investment decision before construction can begin. The seabed lease follows an eight-week statutory consultation with local communities and stakeholders, part of The Crown Estate’s Capacity Increase Programme. This initiative is designed to unlock more clean energy from existing lease areas, with up to 4.7GW of additional generation possible across seven UK projects.

Environmental compensation measures have already been agreed with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and will be delivered alongside the development. This ensures that the project can move forward in a way that balances renewable energy growth with marine environmental considerations.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm itself is an engineering and energy milestone. A joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn, it was awarded development rights under Offshore Wind Leasing Round 3 and is being delivered in three 1.2GW phases. Once operational, Dogger Bank will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world, playing a pivotal role in the UK’s renewable energy landscape.

With Dogger Bank D now on the horizon, the UK’s offshore wind ambitions are set to take another significant step forward, cementing the North Sea’s role as one of the most important hubs for global renewable energy.