Worlds largest offshore wind farm generates electricity for the first time

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm has generated electricity for the first time, with the installation of the first turbine now contributing to the grid.

Located 80 miles off the coast of Yorkshire, this is the first of 277 turbines that will eventually generate 3.6GW’s of clean electricity, enough to power 6 million homes.

Each rotation of the massive 107-metre-long blades on Dogger Bank’s operational turbine can generate enough energy to power an average British home for two days.

Developed by UK’s SSE Renewables in a joint venture with Norwegian company Equinor, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Offshore wind is critical to generating renewable, efficient energy that can power British homes from British seas.”

Alistair Phillips-Davies, Chief Executive of SSE, said: “There’s been lots of talk about the need to build homegrown energy supplies, but we are taking action on a massive scale.

“Dogger Bank will provide a significant boost to UK energy security, affordability and leadership in tackling climate change. This is exactly how we should be responding to the energy crisis.

“But it is also a landmark moment for the global offshore wind industry, with Dogger Bank demonstrating just what can be achieved when policymakers, investors, industry and communities work together to achieve something truly remarkable.”

With news today of wholesale gas prices jumping in the last 2 days of trading because of a potential worldwide shortage of LNG (liquefied natural gas), news like this will offer the UK not just a clean future but a sustainable future away from the issues of having to compete for finite commodities like LNG.

Gas for power generation is currently around 35% in the UK. This is why we are still so reliant on gas not just for heating but for electricity generation as well. Wind Power currently accounts for 25% of electricity generated in the UK.

Although gas will always be part of the generation mix in the UK, the Dogger Bank development spread across three phases will contribute more and more as each phase is completed.

Unfortunately, as we are still very reliant on imported LNG for the next few years to fill the void left when Russia turn the taps off in 2022, it’s really important as a business that you keep a track on what’s happening with prices in these extremely volatile times as it will make such a big difference to what you pay for your electricity and gas.

With prices being so high at the moment, our weekly price trends update is designed to help explain what the key drivers are and provide you with all of the information to make a well informed decision on when to agree your next contract.

If you need to compare prices for your meter now, please click here to see the latest rates for your meter.