Dogger Bank A OFTO

By 16 September 2025, the consortium comprising Equitix Investment Management Limited, Kyuden International Corporation and Kyuden T&D Global Co., Inc. had been designated the preferred bidder to become the OFTO for the Dogger Bank A offshore transmission assets. The consortium responded to a UK government consultation on extending Dogger Bank A’s time-limited exemption from the requirement to hold a transmission licence, supporting an extension to allow completion of due diligence and high-load testing of the offshore export cables before the assets are transferred and the long-term OFTO revenue arrangements commence.

In April 2025, an application was submitted to amend the existing Development Consent Order for Dogger Bank A and B in order to enable separate OFTO processes, formally seeking revised consent arrangements for how the offshore transmission assets for Dogger Bank A (and B) are divested and regulated.

In April 2025, stakeholder consultation was opened on the proposed amendment to the Dogger Bank A and B Development Consent Order that would enable separate OFTO processes, inviting feedback from interested parties on the changes affecting the offshore transmission arrangements.

On 13 January 2025, through the Electricity (Individual Exemption from the Requirement for a Transmission Licence) (Dogger Bank A) Order 2025, Minister Shanks acting for the Secretary of State granted Dogger Bank Offshore Windfarm a time‑limited exemption from the requirement to hold a transmission licence for the Dogger Bank A offshore transmission assets. The exemption runs from the Order’s entry into force until the earlier of 19 December 2025 or transfer of the transmission assets to the preferred OFTO, ensuring the generator can lawfully transmit electricity during extended commissioning and the OFTO sale process following technical delays caused by turbine blade failures.

In January 2025, through the Electricity (Individual Exemption from the Requirement for a Transmission Licence) (Dogger Bank A) Order 2025, Minister Shanks granted Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm Project 1 Projco Ltd a time‑limited exemption from the requirement to hold a transmission licence for the Dogger Bank A offshore transmission system. The order, made under section 5 of the Electricity Act 1989 and described in an Explanatory Memorandum dated 13 January 2025, allows the generator to continue transmitting electricity over the Dogger Bank A export cables and substations until 19 December 2025 or until the assets are transferred to the preferred OFTO, whichever occurs first.

By the close of the UK government’s November–December 2024 consultation on a transmission licence exemption for Dogger Bank A, the consortium comprising Equitix Investment Management Limited, Kyuden International Corporation and Kyuden T&D Global Co., Inc. was recognised as the preferred bidder to become the OFTO for the Dogger Bank A transmission assets and participated in the consultation in that capacity.

On 15 November 2024, the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero opened a public consultation on a proposed time‑limited exemption from the requirement to hold a transmission licence for Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm Project 1 Projco Ltd in respect of the Dogger Bank A offshore transmission assets. The consultation, running until 13 December 2024, set out a proposal to make the Electricity (Individual Exemption from the Requirement for a Transmission Licence) (Dogger Bank A) (England) Order 2025, which would allow continued operation of the Dogger Bank A transmission system during commissioning and OFTO transfer.

On 16 October 2024, Dogger Bank Offshore Windfarm formally applied to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Ofgem for a Section 5 individual transmission licence exemption covering the Dogger Bank A offshore transmission system until 19 December 2025. The request sought additional time beyond the existing commissioning period to complete installation and commissioning of the Dogger Bank A turbines and to undertake compliance testing of the transmission assets so they can be transferred to the eventual OFTO owner.

On 9 February 2024, the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero granted Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm Project 1 Projco Ltd an extension to the commissioning period for the Dogger Bank A offshore transmission assets, allowing the generator to continue transmitting electricity without holding a separate transmission licence until 9 February 2025. The time‑limited extension, lasting ten months and ten days, was justified by unforeseen and significant technical issues, including multiple turbine blade failures that delayed turbine commissioning and, in turn, testing of the offshore transmission system ahead of transfer to an independent OFTO.

By 12 October 2023, NKT had successfully produced and installed the turnkey 320 kV HVDC power cable system for Dogger Bank A, the first HVDC cable system for offshore wind in the UK. The project was completed according to time schedule and within budget. Cables were manufactured at NKT's Karlskrona factory in Sweden using 100% renewable electricity, and installed by the NKT Victoria cable-laying vessel.

On 10 October 2023, the first phase of Dogger Bank Wind Farm began exporting electricity to the UK national grid, following installation of the first GE Vernova Haliade-X 13 MW turbine. Power was transmitted via the HVDC transmission system — the first use of HVDC technology to connect a British wind farm to National Grid — including the world's first unmanned offshore HVDC converter platform and Hitachi Energy's HVDC Light system, through approximately 175 km of subsea and 30 km of onshore 320 kV DC export cable to the Creyke Beck converter station.

On 18 July 2023, Ofgem announced that four bidder consortia—Gravis-ITOCHU-UKPN Services, EKITD (Equitix Investment Management, Kyuden International Corporation and Kyuden T&D Global), Diamond Transmission Partners, and Transmission Capital Partners—had successfully passed the Enhanced Pre-Qualification stage for Tender Round 10, allowing them to bid for up to three offshore transmission links including the Dogger Bank A OFTO assets. In this round, Dogger Bank A’s transmission system was described as being anticipated to be worth around £1 billion, with the eventual OFTO to receive a guaranteed regulated revenue stream for up to 25 years under its licence, subject to asset availability.

On 18 July 2023, Ofgem announced that four consortia—Gravis‑ITOCHU‑UKPN Services Consortium, EKITD Consortium, Diamond Transmission Partners, and Transmission Capital Partners—had successfully passed the Enhanced Pre‑Qualification stage and were shortlisted to compete in Tender Round 10 for ownership and operation of the Dogger Bank A Offshore Wind Farm OFTO transmission assets, anticipated to be worth around £1 billion and rated at 1,200 MW. This marked the first major down‑selection of potential Offshore Transmission Owners for the Dogger Bank A HVDC export link and associated substations and cables.

In April 2023, the world's first unmanned HVDC offshore converter platform was installed at Dogger Bank A by Saipem using the heavy-lift vessel Thialf. The platform, measuring 65 x 36 metres and 39 metres high, sits on a four-legged steel jacket foundation at approximately 28 m water depth. Fitted with Hitachi Energy's HVDC Light converter technology, it receives 1.2 GW of AC power from turbines, converts it to DC, and transmits it to the Creyke Beck onshore converter station via the 320 kV HVDC export cables.

On 26 January 2023, Ofgem formally launched Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) Tender Round 10, initiating the competitive procurement process for ownership and operation of several offshore transmission links, including the c.1.2 GW Dogger Bank A OFTO transmission assets, which have an initial forecast transfer value of about £960.1 million.

On 26 January 2023, Ofgem launched Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) Tender Round 10, which included the Dogger Bank A offshore transmission assets. As part of this launch, Ofgem’s tender documentation set an initial transfer value of £960.1 million for the 1,200 MW Dogger Bank A OFTO link, defining the indicative sale price for the transmission assets to be acquired by the eventual OFTO licensee.

On 26 January 2023, Ofgem formally launched Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO) Tender Round 10, explicitly including the Dogger Bank A offshore transmission assets, with an initial transfer value of about £960.1 million for the 1,200 MW link. This launch opened the competitive regulatory process to appoint an independent OFTO to own and operate Dogger Bank A’s export cables and associated offshore and onshore substations under a 25‑year licence-based revenue regime.

Offshore construction on Dogger Bank Wind Farm began on 29 April 2022 with the installation of the first length of HVDC export cable off the Yorkshire coast. NKT led the work to install the Dogger Bank A nearshore 320 kV DC export cable, connecting the first phase of the wind farm more than 130 km offshore to a landfall point at Ulrome in East Riding of Yorkshire.

In July 2021, a Marine Licence covering UXO clearance for the Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B export cables and offshore platforms was granted, enabling offshore clearance operations along the HVDC export cable route and around the offshore converter platforms that form part of the transmission links to shore.

In April 2021, a nearshore UXO Marine Licence was awarded for Dogger Bank A and B, authorising nearshore unexploded ordnance activities required to prepare the coastal area and cable corridor for the export cable works associated with the projects’ offshore transmission systems.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids confirmed to supply HVDC Light technology for all three phases of Dogger Bank Wind Farm, including offshore and onshore converter stations.

Offshore works at the landfall for Dogger Bank A and B commenced as part of the early offshore construction programme, preparing the coastal cable corridor ahead of export cable installation which began in April 2022. Nearshore UXO clearance licences were granted in April and July 2021. Note: Q4 2020 date is from pre-event decommissioning programme (May 2020); actual offshore landfall works likely started 2021 based on UXO licence timeline.

On 26 November 2020, SSE Renewables and Equinor announced financial close on Dogger Bank A and B, representing the largest offshore wind project financing to date globally at GBP 5.5 billion. The final group of lenders comprised 29 banks and three export credit agencies. Total capital expenditure for each phase was around GBP 3 billion, including offshore transmission capex of approximately GBP 800 million per phase.

Onshore construction works for Dogger Bank A and B, including the onshore infrastructure associated with the offshore wind farms and their transmission connection, commenced in January 2020.

NKT was appointed as main contractor for the HVDC export cable systems for Dogger Bank A and B on 19 November 2019. Under a turnkey scope, NKT would design, manufacture, supply and install the 320 kV HVDC export cable system comprising two parallel cables along approximately 175 km subsea and 30 km onshore routes, using its cable-laying vessel NKT Victoria.

In September 2019, Dogger Bank Wind Farm secured a 15-year Contract for Difference from the UK Government's CfD Round 3 auction for Dogger Bank A (1,200 MW) at a strike price of GBP 39.65/MWh (2012 prices, CPI-indexed) for delivery in 2023/24. This was one of the lowest strike prices ever awarded in UK offshore wind and underpinned the subsequent financial close in November 2020.

In February 2015, development consent for Dogger Bank A and B was granted under the Dogger Bank Creyke Beck Offshore Wind Farm Order 2015 (as amended), with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change making the Development Consent Order that authorises construction and operation of the wind farms and their associated transmission works, including the offshore export cables and offshore platforms.

Alongside the Development Consent Order made in February 2015 for Dogger Bank A and B, the Marine Management Organisation’s deemed Marine Licences contained within Schedules 8, 9, 10 and 11 were confirmed, providing the marine licensing framework for offshore works including the offshore transmission assets and export cable installation.

In March 2014, the Environmental Impact Statement for the Dogger Bank project, including the Dogger Bank A area and its associated offshore infrastructure such as export cable routes and offshore platforms, was formally approved, clearing a key environmental hurdle for development of the wind farm and its transmission assets.