Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind: Securing renewable energy for 1.6 million homes
The UK has set ambitious targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with offshore wind identified as a cornerstone of the nation’s clean and secure energy future. Building on decades of innovation and large-scale developments in the North Sea, the UK is now the world’s second largest offshore wind market, with a goal to generate 50GW of power from offshore wind by 2030.
Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind is a vital part of this trajectory. Located off the Lincolnshire coast, the project will capture strong North Sea winds to produce 1.5GW of renewable electricity, equivalent to that used by 1.6 million homes, or 80% of all the homes in the East Midlands.
Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind, a joint venture between TotalEnergies, Corio Generation and affiliates, and Gulf Energy Development, has appointed Ramboll to deliver the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for the entire transmission system of the wind farm.
From sea to land: Delivering the transmission network
Offshore wind power does not happen by chance; it requires a skilled team and years of expertise to build a transmission system and deliver the renewable energy safely to shore.
For Outer Dowsing, Ramboll delivered a FEED design comprising the overall power system design, three offshore substations, an offshore reactive compensation platform, an onshore substation, and the SCADA monitoring network.
Ramboll’s multidisciplinary expertise covered the basis of design across all disciplines, defining design standards and codes, and developing safety philosophies. Ramboll identified and assessed design and construction-related health and safety risks according to UK’s Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations.
For both the offshore substation and reactive compensation platform, Ramboll’s experts planned the general topside layout, designing low voltage systems, telecommunications, navigational aids, fire and gas systems, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Ramboll also conducted comprehensive structural design analyses, created detailed 3D models, and provided cost estimates for accurate budgeting.
For the onshore substation, Ramboll’s experts developed an overall design framework, including the general layout, system integration, grounding strategies, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, drainage and flood control measures, noise prediction and mitigation, and a route study to facilitate heavy equipment access. Ramboll completed the FEED in 2025.
A long-term investment in national energy security
The Outer Dowsing offshore wind farm will be one of the UK’s largest with UK investment estimated at £2 billion. The wind farm will include up to 100 turbines with a total installed capacity of 1.5GW. Construction is expected to start in 2027 with grid connection in 2030.
"Ramboll’s deep expertise and collaborative approach have been instrumental in developing a robust transmission system design for Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind. Their ability to integrate complex engineering disciplines while maintaining a clear focus on safety, constructability, and long-term performance has set a solid foundation for the project’s success”
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