Kier has been appointed by General Electric to deliver an onshore converter station in Redcar, for RWE’s £3bn Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, located on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea
The onshore converter will be located on a site adjacent to the Wilton Complex, near the village of Lazenby.
Works will include civil engineering and building construction works for the valve halls, control building, and ancillary buildings including the installation of all associated building services, heating, cooling, and building management systems.
The Sofia Offshore Wind Farm will comprise 100 turbines, an offshore converter station, and hundreds of kilometres of both inter-array and export cables, as well as onshore electrical infrastructure.
‘Significant economic benefits to the northeast’
Mark Pengelly, group managing director at Kier said: “We have an established track record of delivery of civil works for power station and energy from waste plants and Sofia is an exciting project for us to be involved in.
“As we all continue to find ways to be more sustainable, we expect that energy will be a key growth area for Kier over the coming years. This project will also bring significant economic benefits to the northeast, as we will deliver it collaboratively with our trusted local supply chain partners.
“Throughout the project, we are committed to delivering for our communities in line with our social purpose to tackle inequality by giving individuals and communities the tools and opportunities to create brighter futures. We do this in a number of ways, including school engagements, creating work opportunities and upskilling local people.”
The new onshore convertor is likely to generate enough green energy to supply around 1.2 million average UK homes with their annual electricity needs. The energy generated by Sofia’s turbines will save more than 2.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year, when compared to the use of fossil fuels in the UK.
Works are due to start onsite in early 2022, with the onshore converter station due to complete mid-2025.
