Dogger Bank: World's largest wind farm starts producing electricity on Teesside
Watch Rachel Bullock's report
The world's largest offshore wind farm under construction has started producing electricity for the first time.
Dogger Bank, 70 miles from the Teesside Coast, has been attached to the National Grid as the first turbine started to produce power on the evening of Saturday 7 October.
Each rotation of the turbine's blades produces enough energy to power an average home for two days. Once fully built the site will encompass 277 turbines and it is hoped it will deliver power to around six million homes annually.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was among those to comment on the moment which he said was crucial to his pledge to reach net zero by 2050.
“Offshore wind is critical to generating renewable, efficient energy that can power British homes from British seas," he said.
“I’m proud that this country is already a world leader in reaching Net Zero by 2050, and by doubling down on the new green industries of the future, we’ll get there in a way that’s both pragmatic and ambitious.
“That’s why it’s fantastic to see the world's largest wind farm, Dogger Bank, generating power for the first time today from UK waters, which will not only bolster our energy security but create jobs, lower electricity bills and keep us on track for Net Zero.”
The turbines at the Dogger Bank site are almost twice the size of the London Eye with the site, once finished, encompassing an area almost as large as Greater London.
The project is being developed and built by SSE Renewables alongside Norwegian companies Equinor and Vårgrønn and has created or supported 2,000 UK jobs.
It is hoped the project will be fully operational by 2026.
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