A recent report has indicated that Dogger Bank, which will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm once fully operational, will boost the UK economy by £6.1bn ($8bn) during its lifetime.

The report, written by economic consultants BVG Associates, also stated that the wind farm would support thousands of UK jobs over the next three decades.

At 3.6GW, Dogger Bank will be capable of generating enough power for around 6m UK homes each year. The project is beginning to generate power from initial commissioning at its first phase, which is being transmitted along subsea cables for use by UK consumers.

The offshore wind farm, developed by SSE, Equinor, and Vårgrønn, will be built in three 1.2GW phases at adjoining sites in the North Sea, some 130km from the Yorkshire Coast.

Direct spend with companies in the northeast of England and in the counties of North Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire is expected to total over £3bn ($3.9bn), with hundreds of jobs supported in these regions.

With the project beginning to generate from initial commissioning at its first phase, full-time equivalent jobs supported across the UK by Dogger Bank are expected to reach 3,600 during 2025.

A significant number of UK jobs will also continue through Dogger Bank’s operational life of at least 35 years, with an average of 1,400 full-time equivalent jobs expected to be supported over this period, which are predominantly highly skilled. These will also include roles for trainees and apprentices.

The wind farm has also committed to investing a further £26m directly in local communities to enhance STEM education and support vital grassroots community initiatives.

“As shown by this independent report, offshore wind projects such as Dogger Bank will generate billions for the UK, while also delivering thousands of good jobs – showing once again that clean power is the economic opportunity of the 21st century,” said Michael Shanks, UK minister for energy in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.