Metec UK, a company based in South Tyneside, England, has won two multi-million pound contracts to protect the giant 3.6GW Dogger Bank wind farm from corrosion.
Metec UK manufactures sacrificial anodes for the long-term protection of steel jackets and foundations against corrosion and is used in the offshore renewable energy industry.
The company, established four years ago and which currently employs 45 people, will supply cathodic protection sacrificial anodes for transition pieces and monopiles, for the first two phases of what will be the world's largest wind farm.
Metec UK is a sub-contractor with Dogger Bank Wind Farm’s tier one contractor, Smulders. Smulders was selected for the supply, fabrication and fit-out of the secondary steel for the transition pieces in late 2020. Smulders will work alongside Sif, the company selected to provide fabrication and supply of 190 monopiles and primary steel for the transition pieces.
Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor, a partner in the offshore wind project said: "As we build up our operations in South Tyneside it’s great to see a local company not only win this flagship contract with the world’s biggest offshore wind farm but also exporting to other countries."
“With ambitious targets to quadruple UK capacity in the next decade, the offshore wind industry provides billions of pounds of supply chain opportunities, and in supporting UK companies we will also build up a competitive supply chain that can win international contracts."
“We look forward to continuing to work with UK companies, particularly in northern England where we will operate the wind farm for decades to come.”
SSE is the operator of the Dogger Bank project during the construction phase, and Equinor will take over during the operational phase. Italian oil major Eni recently acquired a 20% stake in total in the Dogger Bank A & B phases for GBP 405 million in total.
The A and B are the first and the second phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm project. The third phase of the wind farm, Dogger Bank C (1,200 MW), is being developed under a different timeline, and there was no change to the ownership of this phase, in which Equinor and SSE each have a 50% stake.
The Dogger Bank A and B projects involve the installation of 190 offshore wind turbines situated approximately 80 miles from the British coast. Each turbine, of GE Renewable Energy's giant Haliade-X type, will have a capacity of 13 MW for a total capacity of 2.4 GW.
The first phase, Dogger Bank A, is expected to be operational in 2023. The overall wind farm is expected to be completed in 2026.