Sofia Offshore Wind Farm

The 1.4 gigawatt (GW) Sofia Offshore Wind Farm, sited on the shallow central area of the North Sea known as Dogger Bank, is the largest offshore wind project in RWE's current portfolio. The project is located 195 km off the UK’s North East coast on a site of 593 square kilometres. It has an agreed connection point at an existing National Grid substation in Lackenby, Teesside. Sofia Offshore Wind Farm is one of the four Dogger Bank projects that were awarded consent in 2015. Formerly known as Dogger Bank Teesside B, the entire project was taken over by innogy (now RWE) in August 2017 and subsequently renamed Sofia Offshore Wind Farm.

The project is now under construction, and is being carried out in close collaboration with suppliers, stakeholders, statutory bodies and the authorities.

Sofia: The Early Years

Facts & figures

number of turbines

00 GW

installed capacity

00 metres

the height of each individual turbine

Opportunities and benefits for the UK

The sheer scale and size of the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm will offer significant economic opportunities for the UK, with potential supply chain benefits, infrastructure and associated jobs and contracts. Having won a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the UK Government’s 2019 auction, the project achieved its financial investment decision, in March 2021. The onshore civil works for Sofia began mid 2021 along with start of the fabrication of the wind farm components.

Offshore construction started in 2023, with export cable installation. In terms of components, the 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.

RWE commissioned Wavehill to assess the socio-economic impacts of its multi-billion pound investment in the development, construction, and operation of the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm. The study evaluates economic and employment outcomes from primary contractors and their supply chains.

Sofia Socio-Economic Report

Go to project website

The Sofia story

Discover the pivotal breakthroughs and landmark achievements that have marked the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm's journey towards sustainability.

Exciting construction phase

Now in its construction phase, the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm is a flagship project for RWE.

Central to this project is the onshore converter station, which converts the energy harnessed from the North Sea winds into the electricity that powers our homes and businesses.

The arrival of the transformers at Sofia’s onshore converter station marks a major milestone.

Watch this terrific video to learn more about this exciting phase.