SSE and Equinor have finalised a seabed lease with The Crown Estate to advance the Dogger Bank D offshore wind project. This represents the latest milestone in the development of a proposed fourth phase of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, the 3.6 GW project currently under construction off the coast of England in the North Sea.
The lease enables Dogger Bank D’s joint venture partners, SSE Renewables and Equinor, to maximise potential capacity from the eastern portion of the existing Dogger Bank C lease area, located around 210 kilometres off the Yorkshire coast. Delivery of the project remains subject to a Development Consent Order and a final investment decision.
A fourth phase could add up to 1.5 GW of renewable electricity capacity to Dogger Bank. Terms for the project were first agreed with The Crown Estate in July 2024, with implementation contingent on the completion of the plan-level Habitats Regulation Assessment linked to the wider Capacity Increase Programme. Dogger Bank D will work with The Crown Estate and stakeholders on the required environmental compensation and mitigation.
The project recently completed an eight-week statutory consultation, presenting plans for up to 113 fixed-bottom turbines and as many as two offshore substations at the 262 km² site. Associated subsea cabling would connect the wind farm to onshore infrastructure in East Riding of Yorkshire, enabling transmission to the national grid.
Dogger Bank D is one of seven UK offshore wind projects with existing leases identified by The Crown Estate for potential capacity increases as part of its Capacity Increase Programme, which could unlock up to 4.7 GW of additional electricity generation.
