Updated November 10, 2025 – RWE has completed the installation of all recyclable blades at the Sofia offshore wind farm project. Over 60% of the 100 SG 14‑222 DD Gamesa turbines have also been installed. RWE also announced of winning two new onshore wind projects in France, Balinot and Langonnet, during the milestone mark for Sofia.
Project Overview
The Sofia Offshore Wind Farm is a being built by RWE on the Dogger Bank in the central North Sea. It sits approximately 195 km off the north east coast of the UK. The project features 100 turbines of Siemens Gamesa’s SG 14‑222 DD. It will have a capacity of 1.4 GW when fully operational. The landfall for Sofia offshore wind farm will be at Redcar in Teesside, with transmission via HVDC cable to shore and connection at the Lackenby substation.
Sofia Offshore Wind Farm Project Factsheet
Developer/Owner: RWE Offshore Wind
Location: Dogger Bank, North Sea
Capacity: 1.4 GW
Number of Turbines: 100
Technology: Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 DD turbines. Recyclable rotor blades.
Site Area: 593 sq km
Status: Under construction.
Milestones Achieved: 100 monopile foundations installed by July 2025.
Expected Completion Date: September 2026
Landfall and Grid Connection: Export cable to Redcar, onshore converter at Teesside Lackenby substation.
Significance: Will generate enough renewable electricity to power over 1.2 million UK homes once operational.
Project Milestones Timeline
June 2021: Enabling works begin at the onshore converter station site in Teesside.
2022: Onshore construction of the converter station and export cable corridor begins.
September 2023: Offshore cable laying for the export HVDC link to the Dogger Bank site starts.
May 2024: First turbine monopile foundation installed at Sofia array.
July 2025: All monopile foundation installed.
Spring 2025: Onshore converter station nears completion. Offshore turbine installation underway.
November 2025: Installation of all recyclable blades is completed. Over 60% of the 100 turbines installed.
2026: Full commissioning and commercial operation expected.
Sofia Offshore Wind Farm Project in UK’s North East Coast
Reported September 25, 2023 – The three-year construction phase of the Sofia offshore wind farm project in the UK has begun.
The works have begun with the installation of subsea cable infrastructure from the UK’s northeast coast to the 1.4GW offshore wind farm site on Dogger Bank, in the central North Sea. Prysmian’s Leonardo da Vinci vessel will be laying the first section of the high voltage direct current (HVDC) export cable. It will be operating from the Port of Middlesbrough. The installation will feature 130-kilometres of double HVDC cable.
The installation of the second and the third section, which is 90 kilometres long, is planned for 2024. By the end of 2024, Leonardo da Vinci will have laid a total of four sections of 310kV HVDC marine export cables with XLPE insulation plus the accompanying communications cables.
In addition to the installation of the aforementioned cable, this phase of the project also includes the arrival of the project’s offshore converter platform. The latter is due to make the journey from Batam, Indonesia to the UK in 2024. Moreover, it comprises the installation of the 100 extended monopile foundations and array cables. This is planned to start next year.
Sofia Offshore Wind Farm Through the Years
Aug 2021: RWE selects GE consortium to supply its 1.4GW Sofia offshore wind farm project
RWE has selected a consortium of GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions and Sembcorp Marine to supply the 1.4GW Sofia offshore wind farm. Sofia is one of the world’s largest offshore wind farm projects, located on Dogger Bank, the shallow area of the central North Sea. This area lies 195km from the UK coast’s nearest point.
As the consortium leader, GE’s Grid Solutions will be responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction. GE will also install two High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) converter stations capable of transmitting 1,400MW of power at 320kV.
Innovative converter modules and a new high-tech control system have also been deployed for Sofia. It will be the most powerful offshore converter station ever fabricated. Once installed at a point 220km from shore, it will also be the most remote of the installations.
The selection of the consortium is positive news for the UK as a significant element of all the primary HVDC equipment will be manufactured and fabricated at GE’s Grid Solutions’ Stafford facilities, which employ more than 1,000 workers.
eLumina
The Sofia offshore wind farm project will be based on GE Grid‘s latest technology, utilizing its second-generation voltage source converter valve and featuring the first application of its state-of-the-art eLumina™ HVDC Control System.
eLumina is the industry’s first HVDC solution to use a digital measurement system fully based on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850, an important international standard defining communication protocols for intelligent electronic devices at electrical substations.
According to Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Operating Officer of Wind Offshore Global of RWE Renewables, the company is keen to support the growth of both onshore and offshore wind energy in the UK, one of their core markets in Europe.
“The choice of GE’s Grid Solutions and Sembcorp Marine for the supply of the electrical system is an important statement of our commitment to grow our renewables portfolio in the UK and reflects our ambition to strive for continuous innovation in the development, construction, and operation of our offshore wind farms,” he said.
Construction of the wind farm is due to begin onshore at its Teesside converter station site early next year, with offshore construction expected to get underway in 2023.
May 2023: Sofia offshore wind farm project awards contract for provision of offshore resources and services
RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm has awarded a contract to Specialist Marine Consultants (SMC) to provide Offshore Resources and Services for the duration of the project’s offshore construction, beginning in 2023.
The turnkey package of works includes several services, such as the above-water offshore balance of plant works. It also includes statutory inspection and general TP maintenance. Marine coordination resourcing, delivery of vessel inspections, and project PPE management are also included. Specialist offshore construction resourcing, project consultancy support, and related project management also feature therein.
