SSE Renewables has welcomed a new offshore jack-up installation vessel, the Jan De Nul-owned Voltaire, to the world's largest offshore wind farm project, Dogger Bank Wind Farms.

The Jan Voltaire has a lifting capacity of over 3,000 tonnes and stands taller than the Eiffel tower, making it the largest of its kind in the world.

The Voltaire will transport and install the world's largest offshore wind turbines, GE's Haliade-X, at Dogger Bank, which sits 130km off the Yorkshire coast. When complete, Dogger Bank will generate enough energy to power over 4.5 million homes every year – around 5% of the UK's electricity needs.

The announcement today marks the first contract placed for Voltaire, which will enter in to service in 2022. The vessel, named after the pioneering European Enlightenment philosopher, is fitted with a highly advanced exhaust filtering system by means of a Selective Catalytic Reduction system and a Diesel Particulate Filter, making it the very first seagoing installation vessel of its kind to be an Ultra-Low Emission vessel.

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Paul Cooley, Director of Capital Projects at SSE Renewables, said: "Dogger Bank is an industry leading project and we, along with our joint venture partners Equinor, are very excited to welcome another industry leader, Jan De Nul Group, to the development of the largest offshore wind farm in the world."

Halfdan Brustad, Vice President for Dogger Bank at Equinor, said: "Dogger Bank represents the leading edge of the offshore wind industry. We and SSE Renewables believe the addition of Jan De Nul Group's ground-breaking vessel to our project will drive the industry forward and make it more competitive."

Steve Wilson, Project Director of Dogger Bank Wind Farms, added: "Jan De Nul Group has a proven track record of transporting and installing new generation offshore wind turbines at scale. Delivering Dogger Bank will be a testament to the skills and expertise of all of our partners in the supply chain, so we are very pleased to welcome Jan De Nul Group on board. Bringing the Voltaire vessel into the Dogger Bank project means we now have the most innovative turbines on the market being installed by the largest jack up vessel ever seen in the industry."

Philippe Hutse, Offshore Director at Jan De Nul Group: "We are delighted to be selected as the transport and installation contractor for the next generation of turbines at Dogger Bank. The size of this giant project coincides perfectly with the capacities of our jack-up vessel Voltaire. It underlines that we are entering in to a new phase of OWF construction. We are proud to be at the forefront of offshore wind construction at Dogger Bank."

Dogger Bank Wind Farms secured 3.6GW of offshore wind contracts in the UK Government's recent contracts for difference auctions.

Record low prices were awarded for the three projects making up Dogger Bank Wind Farms: Creyke Beck A, Creyke Beck B and Teesside A. The project is now moving towards final investment decision, expected in 2020. SSE Renewables will lead the development and construction phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farms and Equinor will lead on operations.

(MH/JG)