Granada contribute to the world’s largest offshore wind farm

Granada have won a significant contract from Aibel AS for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm substation, a project which is leading the way for the UK’s green economic recovery. Aibel’s contract has a value of more than NOK 2.5 billion, to deliver the converter platforms for Dogger Bank A and B projects in the first instance, and Granada are contracted to supply two of their unique Python davit cranes.

When fully completed in 2026, the Dogger Bank Wind Farm will produce enough renewable energy to supply 5% of the UK’s demand, powering six million homes each year. Each turbine can provide enough clean energy to power 16,000 households and save the equivalent of 9,000 vehicles’ emissions in a year. As well as being the world’s largest wind farm, due to its distance from the shore – at 130km off the north east coast of England – Dogger Bank will also be the UK’s first High Voltage Direct Current wind farm.

Onshore construction began in January 2020 and already 320 skilled jobs have been announced, including 120 jobs at the marshalling harbour Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool during construction, and 200 jobs to be based offshore and at the Port of Tyne for Operations and Maintenance of the wind farm once operational.

Granada’s Python cranes for the Dogger Bank project measure approximately 4 metres in height, 5 metres in radius and each weigh approximately 2,000kgs, with a maximum lifting capacity of 1,200kgs. Granada have been contracted to design, supply, third party certify and commission the two individual crane units and will be delivering them over a six-month timescale.

Mark Sidwell, managing director at GMH comments,
“This is another ground-breaking project for ourselves and Aibel, since we began working with them in 2016 on the Hywind Offshore project – the world’s first commercial floating wind farm. Continuing this relationship is positive both for Granada and for our supply chain and SMEs across the UK, particularly in the north. Having supplied over 1,300 offshore davits, Granada is the UK’s leading offshore wind far davit crane supplier and we see an encouraging future, helping work towards net zero and contribute to economic growth in the post-COVID climate.”