Kier has been appointed by General Electric (GE) to deliver the onshore converter station in Redcar in the UK’s north east for RWE’s c. £3 billion 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. The project area and compound is 34,000m2 and 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.

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.

Kier’s works are due to start onsite in early 2022, with the onshore converter station due to complete mid-2025.

Mark Pengelly, Group managing director, Kier Infrastructure, 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 north east, 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.”

When operational, Sofia is likely to generate enough green energy to supply around 1.2million 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.