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ABS Group Selected for Health and Safety Guidance to Support RWE's Flagship Offshore Wind Project
Risk assessment to guide Sofia Offshore Wind Farm in addressing novel UK renewable energy safety guidance
ABS Group, a global risk management company, was selected to perform a Major Accident Hazard Design Risk Assessment (MAH DRA) on RWE’s flagship 1.4 gigawatt Sofia Offshore Wind Farm project.
The MAH DRA ensures that, in line with regulatory expectations introduced in 2019, significant hazards related to the wind farm’s construction and operation are identified and risk assessed for mitigation in the design and maintenance procedures so emergency response arrangements can be put in place to address any residual risks.
“We have enjoyed providing preventative offshore wind safety solutions that support milestone preparations for Sofia Offshore Wind Farm,” said Joe Woods, VP Risk and Reliability at ABS Group. “Risk management is crucial as aspects of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulatory guidance traditionally applied to the offshore oil and gas industry is extending to offshore renewable energy to maintain safety levels.”
Additionally, ABS Group will support the implementation of performance standards and the management of Safety and Environmental Critical Equipment (SECEs) to support emergency response arrangements as the project progresses.
Sofia Offshore Wind Farm will be located on Dogger Bank in the North Sea and will comprise 100 new state-of-the-art turbines on a site spanning an area of 593km2 in size. Now under construction, the project is expected to be operational by the end of 2026 and will generate enough green energy to power over 1.2 million homes in the UK, making it one of the world’s largest single offshore wind farms.
About 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 100% owned by RWE and is the largest offshore wind project in the company’s current portfolio. Now under construction, the project is located 195 km from the nearest point on the UK’s North East coast on a site of 593 square kilometres. It will have a single offshore converter platform, with the electricity generated transported from there, via a high voltage direct current export cable, to landfall 220 kilometres away in Redcar, Teesside. It will require a new onshore converter station, and has an agreed grid connection point at the existing National Grid substation in Lackenby, Teesside, seven kilometres inland. The project will be operated out of an RWE hub in Grimsby. For more visit: www.sofiawindfarm.com
About ABS Group
ABS Group of Companies, Inc. (www.abs-group.com), through its operating subsidiaries, provides technical advisory and certification services to support the safety and reliability of high-performance assets and operations in the oil, gas and chemical, power generation, marine, offshore and government sectors, among others. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, ABS Group operates with more than 1,000 professionals globally. ABS Group is a subsidiary of ABS (www.eagle.org), a leading marine and offshore classification society.