RWE

RWE has a strong history with Blyth as the town was the location of the UK’s first Offshore Wind Farm which was commissioned in 2000. The two, 2 megawatt turbines produced enough clean and renewable electricity to power an average 3000 homes. The project was operated by E.ON Climate and Renewables who have since become part of RWE, as the company continues to grow and innovate in the world of renewable energy.  

The new-build Offshore Construction Base (OCB) will become the management centre for the RWE project’s vessels and logistics throughout the offshore construction phase in 2024. It will be managed and maintained by Port of Blyth in support of the project throughout the three-and-a-half years’ construction period.  

RWE utilises a range of marine contractors such as Van Oord, Prysmian and GE Vernova, as well as working with suppliers throughout the supply chain. Sofia is on course to meet its target of over 50% local (UK) content in its supply chain, as set out in its Supply Chain Plan.   

This provides employment for thousands of workers, which is equally important for the large international actors as it is the smaller local suppliers. That employment is not just job creation, but also job safeguarding, both in the North East and elsewhere in the UK. An example of this is the Sofia order placed with a GE factory in Stafford that was otherwise facing closure, safeguarding 1200 jobs. 

Beyond employment, the Sofia team also has education experts working with schools, colleges and universities across the North East, developing a supply line of prospective workers, to help design, build and operate wind farms in the future. Sofia represents this legacy.

Matthew Swanwick, RWE Project Director of Sofia, said: “Choosing the base for Sofia’s offshore construction has been a key decision as it will be home to the team for more than three years and will play a vital role in the successful completion of the project. The Port of Blyth offers us not only a strategic location and access to a strong marine supply chain but also an impressive new facility that will also ensure a legacy beyond the project.” 

The 1.4GW Sofia Offshore Wind Farm project is located on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea, 195km off the North East coast of the UK. The Port of Blyth’s strategic mid North Sea location ensures it is well placed for supporting wind farm developments down the UK’s east coast. 

RWE is one of the world’s leading offshore wind players, and a key partner in delivering the UK Government’s 50GW offshore wind target by 2030. Across the UK and Ireland, RWE has around 8 gigawatts (GW) (6.1 GW pro rata share) of offshore capacity under construction or development. 

Blyth offers the perfect location for RWE due to its strengths in offshore wind, being the home of Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, The Digital, Autonomous and Robotics Engineering (DARE) Centre and the soon to open Technology Development Centre which offer extensive facilities for demonstration, testing and research across the renewables sector. The area, known as Energy Central has a strong and vibrant supply chain at Port of Blyth offering turn-key solutions for companies and projects operating in the area.