Aberdeen's North Star to create 40 jobs after latest vessel win for giant wind farm

Aberdeen-based North Star has secured a further deal for a vast North Sea wind farm in a move that will create 40 jobs.

The firm has clinched the service operations vessel (SOV) contract to support the third phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, off the coast of Yorkshire.

Bosses said the long-term charter would be worth some £90 million and will see the company deliver an additional ship, utilising its new hybrid-powered fleet design.

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This will be the fourth SOV and associated daughter craft that North Star has been contracted to build and operate by Dogger Bank’s joint partners, Equinor, SSE Renewables, which is part of Perth-based energy giant SSE, and Eni, this year.

An image showing the four vessels that will be used for the giant Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.An image showing the four vessels that will be used for the giant Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.
An image showing the four vessels that will be used for the giant Dogger Bank offshore wind farm.

The firm becomes the exclusive service vessel operator for the world’s largest wind farm for at least the next decade.

In March, the business won the initial contract for Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B following a competitive tender for the design and delivery of three SOVs in a deal worth some £270m.

Each of the four Dogger Bank SOVs have been contracted on a ten-year agreement, with three additional one-year options.

Some 40 new full-time positions in crewing and onshore-based jobs will be created locally in support of the Dogger Bank C contract, in addition to the 130 announced previously to support the first three SOVs. North Star employs about 1,400 personnel out of its facilities in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Lowestoft.

Chief executive Matthew Gordon said: “Securing the final SOV contract required for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm development for the next decade is an honour, and testament to the hard work and dedication of the team at North Star and our talented technology partners.

“We are fully committed to supporting the local supply chain and communities in the UK where possible and are actively recruiting around 170 personnel from across the country to support this complete vessel package.

“These hybrid-powered vessels are futureproofed for tomorrow’s zero-carbon emission marine fuels and the superior home-from-home living space will provide the offshore wind technicians exceptional respite from the often-harsh North Sea environment.

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“The Dogger Bank C award has put us in an even stronger market position to deliver further value to our shareholders as we continue with our strategic ambitions to secure additional projects in the UK offshore renewables market and beyond.”

Due to its size and scale, Dogger Bank is being built in three 1.2-gigawatt phases - Dogger Bank A, B and C. In total the wind farm is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to supply 5 per cent of the UK’s demand, equivalent to powering some six million homes.

Rune Rønvik, project manager for Dogger Bank, said: “With the final SOV also being delivered by North Star we will have the same ship owner across all three phases which means we will continue the constructive cooperation we have started and develop the operational synergies further.

“As we have seen from North Star’s initial contract award, securing big orders can really help UK businesses enter the offshore wind market, secure investment and create jobs.”

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Aberdeen's North Star Renewables lands £96 million to build fleet for giant wind...

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