Pioneering HVDC Light® technology will enable Dogger Bank Wind Farm to support UK’s clean electricity demand, powering six million UK homes.

Hitachi ABB Power Gridshas announcedthatit haswon anothermajor orderfromDogger Bank Wind Farmto connectthethirdtransmission link fromtheworld’s largest offshorewind farmover 130 kmtotheUKmainland.

TheDogger BankWindFarmin the North Seawillhavea combined installed generation capacity of 3.6GW, enough to powersixmillion UKhomes.*Thisnewawardextendsthe ongoing deliveryofDogger Bank A and B toinclude C1. This contract is subject tofinancial closeofthe third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm,which is currently forecastforlate 2021.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm has been developed as a joint venture between SSE Renewables and Equinor (50:50).Eniwill take a 20% stake in the first two phases,subject to regulatory and lender approvals of Eni’s agreement to enter the joint venture which are due in early 2021.2

Byprovidingitsmarket-leading,compacthigh-voltage direct-currenttechnology, HVDC Light®,Hitachi ABB Power Gridscontinues toshape theoffshorepower landscape,enabling theefficient transmissionand dynamic integrationofdistantoffshore wind powertothe onshoregrid.TheDogger BankWindFarmwill significantly contribute towards the UK government’s goals of sourcing up to40GWofoffshore wind capacityandcutting emissions by 68% by2030.

HVDC Light®technology is a key enabler for remote wind farms off the coast of the UK. Now, the latest HVDC Light system provides the most compact design and the lowest energy losses in the power industry. According to an independent life cycle assessment, the implementation of this pioneering technology will reduce the lifetime CO2impact by almost two-thirds, compared to previously commissioned installations, supporting the green energy transition and the strong global focus on carbon-neutral energy systems.

“Together, with customers and partners, we are playing a key role in?accelerating the energy transition,”said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi ABB Power Grids’Grid Integration business. “HVDCtechnologycontributessignificantly towards a carbon-neutral energyfutureby enablingtheintegration oflarge-scale and remoterenewableenergy generation,” he added.“Being selected once again underlines our customers’trustin our world-leading expertise and delivery capabilities.”

“Confirmation of our collaboration with Hitachi ABB Power Grids on all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm is another important milestone for our world-leading development,” saidSteve Wilson, Project Director at Dogger Bank Wind Farm.“Working together in an integrated way will enable us to achieve optimum efficiency during the design, procurement and construction work, while the use of market-leading HVDC technology will ensure efficient and reliable transmission of renewable energy forsixmillion UK households once all of the windfarm phases become operational.”

“This is an important milestone for Dogger Bank Wind Farm,”saidHalfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor. “Using HVDC technology is a competitive solution for offshore wind at a long distance from shore, and this will be the first offshore HVDC solution in the UK, openingup new markets and opportunities. The appointment of Hitachi ABB Power Grids demonstrates cross industry collaboration,bringing best expertise into a successful Dogger Bank delivery.”

Enabling the energy transition with HVDCtechnology

HVDC technology has been recognized as a key technologyforenablingtheclean energy transition, contributing to the UN’sSustainable Development Goal7: increasing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids pioneered commercial HVDC technology more than 65 years ago.HVDC Light®, invented by Hitachi ABB Power Grids based onVoltageSourced Converter (VSC)technology,is a highlydynamic andefficient alternative to alternating current for transmitting large amounts of electricity with higher efficiency, over longer distances, and with lower electrical losses.

HVDC Light®contributes to the secure and stable transmission of power across networks that operate on different voltages and frequencies.This makes the technology suitable fortheintegration of renewable energy, suchas offshore wind farms and interconnecting and strengthening AC networks. This advanced technology also has black-start capability, which enables fast grid restoration in the event ofapower outage.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids has delivered more than half of the world’s HVDC projects. These include North Sea offshore wind grid connection projects such asDolWin1 and 2, and the world’s first offshore wind farm, BorWin1.In addition, Hitachi ABB Power Grids is playing a central role in?connecting the SSEN Transmission-owned Shetland link to its Caithness-Moray HVDC system for integration to the UK mainland transmission network.