Dogger Bank Wind Farm: Delivery of first electricity transformer to convertor station near Cottingham

The transformers will be trucked to the site off the A1079 by Allelys hauliers

The equipment will play an integral role in the operation of the two convertor stations being built off the A1079, near the Creyke Beck substation at Cottingham.

Eventually they will convert the current from Dogger Bank Wind Farm, 130km off Yorkshire’s coast, for transmission via the National Grid network to millions of UK homes.

The electricity will be carried via an underground cable from the landfall point at Ulrome, between Bridlington and Hornsea, to the site near Cottingham.

Creyke Beck sub station near Cottingham Picture: Google Maps

A police escort will accompany the abnormal loads when they set off from Hull Docks on a journey via the A63, A1034 and A1079, which could take up to six hours.

Four deliveries are being made during May, with the first scheduled for this Sunday (May 8), followed by three others on May 15, 22 and 29.

The transformers will be carried on specialist girder frame trailers provided by UK firm Allelys, some 58.2 metres long and 4.75 metres wide.

Rachel Lawrence, Community Engagement Manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said: “While we will do everything, we can to minimise disruption during these deliveries, it is it is possible some journey times may be slightly longer than normal and we would ask the public for their patience as we carry out this critical work.

“Our contractors will be working with officers from Humberside Police to ensure the transportation is carried out safely and securely, and with minimal impact on the communities close to these roads."

Dogger Bank Wind Farm, a joint venture between SSE Renewables (40 per cent), Equinor (40 per cent) and Eni Plenitude (20 per cent), will be the first high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) connected wind farm in the UK.

Hitachi Energy is supplying the HVDC systems to connect the farm to the national grid at Creyke Beck and Teesside.

Each of the three phases of the farm will have an offshore HVDC converter station, which will turn the generated wind power from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).

That will then be transmitted to shore where the onland convertor stations will turn the power back to AC and integrate it into the AC-grid. Hitachi Energy says using HVDC means power losses will be minimised and more power will reach the end consumer.