DONG Energy awards substation design contract to Atkins as it continues to drive down offshore wind

Offshore wind market leader DONG Energy has awarded a contract to Atkins for engineering design services for three offshore substations at DONG Energy's proposed Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm.

Atkins, one of the world's leading design, engineering and project management consultancies, now has major contracts with DONG Energy for the detailed engineering design of eight offshore substations. Previous contracts covered the offshore substations at the planned Burbo Bank Extension, Race Bank, and Walney Extension offshore wind farm projects in the UK.

DONG Energy has set a goal of reducing the cost of electricity produced by its offshore wind farms costs by 35 to 40 per cent for projects given the green light from 2020 onwards.

Brent Cheshire, DONG Energy's UK Country Chairman, said:


"Standardising the design of major components is an important step towards reducing the cost of electricity generated by our future offshore wind farms. This contract builds on the offshore substation design work which Atkins is already undertaking for us.
 
"With the UK leading the world in the deployment of offshore wind technology, DONG Energy believes it is important that investments feed through to the local supply chain."
 
Phil Malem, managing director of Atkins' Power and Renewables business, said:

"Our long-standing relationship with DONG Energy demonstrates how the move to a standardised approach for marine renewables design and engineering can drive down costs at the same time as maintaining standards and remaining innovative in our approach. Atkins is a leader in the engineering design of offshore structures, and we are proud to be assisting DONG Energy in the transformation of the UK's offshore wind sector."

Hornsea Project One is located 120 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast and covers approximately 407 square kilometres. The project is scheduled to commence operation by 2020 when it would become the world's first gigawatt scale far from shore wind farm.

For additional information, please contact:

James Platt - Ørsted
+44 20 7811 5519