CHC LLC : Helicopter Wins Aviation Contract for World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Dogger Bank Jul 6, 2023

CHC Helicopter Wins Aviation Contract for World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Dogger Bank

United Kingdom, 6 July 2023 - CHC Helicopter, the global helicopter services company specialising in offshore transportation, is today proud to announce its recent contract award for the construction of Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm, a joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Vårgrønn.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm is being built in the North Sea more than 130km from the Yorkshire coast, in three phases known as Dogger Bank A, B and C. The project is set to be the world's largest offshore wind farm - consisting of 277 wind turbines, capable of generating 3.6GW of renewable energy; enough clean and sustainable electricity to power 6 million homes annually.

CHC has been contracted to provide crew change support for the development of Dogger Bank A, with the first flights launched at the end of April. The company is providing AW139 and H175 aircraft to support the contract from its Norwich base.

This landmark project marks a significant milestone in CHC's commitment to supporting sustainable energy initiatives and further solidifies the company's position as a trusted partner in the offshore wind sector. The company's exceptional safety record, operational excellence, and extensive experience in offshore operations were key factors contributing to the award of this contract.

Dave Grant, Sales Director, EMEA, said: "We are thrilled to be selected as the aviation partner for the construction of the world's largest offshore wind farm. This significant project represents a major step towards achieving a greener future, and we are fully committed to supporting the development of sustainable energy sources. Our team is hard at work already to provide safe and efficient services to ensure the success and on-time completion of this ambitious undertaking."

Alan Borland, Project Manager, Dogger Bank Wind Farm, added: "Being so far from shore presents new challenges to how we manage logistics in Offshore wind, which can only be overcome through the use of trusted suppliers. We are delighted that CHC will join the project to as our aviation partner to support us in our crew changes during the construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm."

CHC Helicopter has a long-standing track record of delivering innovative aviation solutions in challenging environments worldwide. With a focus on safety, reliability, and sustainability, the company has played a critical role in supporting offshore energy projects, including supporting the development of a number of offshore wind farms in the North Sea and across the globe.

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About CHC

CHC Helicopter is a leader in the provision of helicopter support to the offshore energy market, search & rescue and government departments, as well as organizations requiring helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul services through the Heli-One division.

For more than 75 years, CHC Helicopter has provided safe, reliable, and cost-effective helicopter services in some of the most remote and challenging environments around the world. Our dedication to safety and reputation for quality and innovation help our customers reach beyond what they thought possible.

About Dogger Bank Wind Farm

• The 3.6 GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be the world's largest offshore wind farm when completed in 2026.  
• It is being built in three 1.2 GW phases: Dogger Bank A, B and C.  
• The project is a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40%), Equinor (40%) and Vårgrønn.
• SSE Renewables is lead operator for the development and construction of Dogger Bank Wind Farm. Equinor will be lead operator of the wind farm on completion for its expected operational life of around 35 years.  
• Financial Close on Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B was reached in November 2020, with Financial Close for Dogger Bank C reached in December 2021. Taken in aggregate, reaching Financial Close on all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm is the largest offshore wind project financing to date globally.  
• Consent for Dogger Bank Wind Farm was granted in 2015.  
• Each of the three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm secured 15-year CfD contracts for 1.2 GW of low carbon power for of low carbon power production in the UK's third CfD Allocation Round, announced September 2019.  
• In May 2021, Dogger Bank Wind Farm took another major step forward after passing a required delivery milestone under the UK's Contracts for Difference scheme for low carbon power.  
• Dogger Bank Wind Farm is located in the North Sea, with each phase more than 130km from the Yorkshire Coast.  
• Onshore construction began in 2020 and is now currently underway for all 3 phases, while offshore construction on Dogger Bank A began in Spring 2022. First power is expected in Summer 2023 for Dogger Bank A with commercial operations to follow in 2024. On Dogger Bank B, first power is expected in 2024 with commercial operations due in 2025. Dogger Bank C is due to enter commercial operations in 2026, marking the completion of the overall wind farm.
• Dogger Bank Wind Farm is fully committed to supporting the UK offshore wind supply chain. To date we estimate more than 2,000 UK roles have been created or supported in relation to the construction and operation of the wind farm. 
• 470 jobs are expected to be recruited by GE Renewable Energy across the North East of England in support of the delivery and operation of all three phases of the project. These will be made up of around 300 skilled roles for turbine installation and commissioning activities and 170 servicing roles at Port of Tyne under GE's five-year Service and Warranty Agreements for Dogger Bank phases A, B and C once operational.   
• At least a further 30 roles will be hired by Equinor as operator of the wind farm, based at the Port of Tyne or offshore.  
• 170 new full-time UK-based jobs will be created by North Star Renewables in crewing and shore-based roles for the operation of the service fleet for Dogger Bank Wind Farm.  
• Up to 100 peak construction jobs will be created by Jones Bros. Civil Engineering, one of the UK's leading civil engineering contractors, on the installation of onshore cable infrastructure for Dogger Bank A and B.   
• Dogger Bank A and B has confirmed GE's Haliade-X 13 MW as the turbine powering the first two phases of the project. As the first order for the Haliade-X 13 MW, installation at Dogger Bank A will be the first time the turbine is installed in the world.  
• Installation of GE's upscaled Haliade-X 14MW turbine at Dogger Bank C will be the first time the 14 MW turbine is installed in the world.  
• One rotation of the Haliade-X turbine blades can power one UK home for more than two days.  
• The wind turbines will be installed on monopile foundations.  
• Dogger Bank will be the first High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) connected wind farm in the UK due to its distance from shore, introducing new transmission systems to the UK and paving the way for other large offshore wind farms.  
• Around 10,000 people, including world leaders, have signed their name on a Dogger Bank turbine as a symbol of their support for climate action. The names will appear on one of the first turbines to be installed on the wind farm from 2023. 
• For more information about Dogger Bank Wind Farm visit www.doggerbank.com  

About SSE Renewables  

SSE Renewables is a leading developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy across the UK and Ireland, with a portfolio of around 4GW of onshore wind, offshore wind, and hydro. Part of the FTSE-listed SSE plc, its strategy is to drive the transition to a net zero future through the world class development, construction, and operation of renewable energy assets.  

SSE Renewables owns nearly 2GW of operational onshore wind capacity t. Its 1,459MW hydro portfolio includes 300MW of pumped storage and 750MW of flexible hydro. Its operational offshore wind portfolio consists of 487MW across two offshore joint venture sites, Beatrice and Greater Gabbard, both of which it operates on behalf of its asset partners.  

SSE Renewables is aiming to treble its renewable energy output by 2030. In addition to Dogger Bank Wind Farm, SSE Renewables is currently leading the construction of the Seagreen 1 offshore wind farm (1,075MW, SSE Renewables share: 49%) and is developing the Berwick Bank and Marr Bank offshore wind farms (up to 4,150MW) in Scotland, North Falls (up to 504MW, SSE Renewables share: 50%) in England, and Arklow Bank Wind Park Phase 2 (520MW) in Ireland. Onshore it is constructing the Viking wind farm (443MW) in Shetland and Gordonbush Extension (38MW) and has a further 1GW of onshore wind in development.  

SSE Renewables is a Principal Partner to the UK Government for COP26 UN climate summit taking place in Glasgow in November 2021.  

About Equinor in the UK

Equinor is a leading broad energy partner to the UK, supplying natural gas from Norway, developing domestic energy resources, and generating low-carbon electricity. Equinor has been operating in the UK for nearly 40 years and aims to reach net zero emissions globally by 2050. Headquartered in Norway, the company employs 22,000 people globally, and over 650 in the UK. Equinor supports the UK economy by investing billions in crucial energy infrastructure, working with over 700 suppliers across the country.

Equinor currently powers around 750,000 UK homes through its three operational wind farms; Sheringham Shoal, Dudgeon, and the world's first floating wind farm, Hywind Scotland. In partnership with SSE Renewables and Vårgrønn, Equinor is building the largest offshore wind farm in the world, Dogger Bank, off the Northeast coast of England, and is maturing its plans to extend both the Dudgeon and Sheringham Shoal wind farms.

It is also a leader in both carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen, developing low-carbon power with carbon capture, hydrogen, and CO2 transport and storage projects in the UK.

About Vårgrønn

Vårgrønn is an agile, Norway-based offshore wind company powering the energy transition through development, construction, operation, and ownership of offshore wind assets. Vårgrønn is a joint venture between the energy company Plenitude (Eni) and the Norwegian energy entrepreneur and investor HitecVision.

Vårgrønn currently holds a 20 percent stage in the world's largest offshore windfarm under construction, Dogger Bank in the UK and has received exclusivity to develop up to 1.9 GW of floating offshore wind in Scotland together with partner Flotation Energy. Vårgrønn is also bidding for floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind projects in Norway together with partners. In the Baltics, Vårgrønn is leading a cooperation with European Energy to prepare for the upcoming auction rounds in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Vårgrønn targets at least 5 GW of offshore wind in operation or sanctioned by 2030 across Northern Europe.