RWE conducting seabed habitat survey for 3 GW offshore wind farm in UK

RWE is performing a benthic survey off the northeast coast of the UK, where the company plans to build its 3 GW Dogger Bank South (DBS) Offshore Wind Farm.

According to a Notice to Mariners from the project, the developer has contracted Ocean Ecology to carry out the seabed habitat survey at the offshore wind farm site with the start date set to 14 March.

During the operations, running until 31 March, Ocean Ecology will be undertaking seabed camera and grab sampling surveys using the survey vessel DSV Curtis Marshall.

RWE’s proposed Dogger Bank South offshore wind project is made up of two offshore wind farms, Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West (DBS East and DBS West), which are located over 100 kilometres offshore in the shallow area of the North Sea known as Dogger Bank.

Each of the two wind farms could have an installed capacity of up to 1.5 GW and together have the potential to generate renewable electricity for up to 3.4 million UK homes per year.

RWE received approval from the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to enter into an Agreement for Lease with The Crown Estate in July 2022, after the UK seabed manager greenlighted six more projects under the Round 4 leasing round.

The developer signed the Agreements for Lease for the DBS project in January this year.

RWE aims to submit an application for development consent to the UK Planning Inspectorate in 2024.