Students land scholarships from Dogger Bank team to prepare them for zero-carbon world

Work is underway at the Port of Tyne on an operations and maintenance base for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which is under construction and due to be completed late in 2022.

The project is expected to create thousands of jobs in South Tyneside and the wider North East, and create a wealth of opportunities for businesses.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the port after the news, hailing the borough's role in the ‘green industrial revolution’ as he delivered the key note speech at the CBI’s 2021 conference.

Now the Dogger Bank team has awarded scholarships to 25 students from the North East and East Yorkshire who are undertaking courses focused on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

They said the scholarships are part of a wider £1million investment in local communities during the construction of the wind farm.

The £5,000 grants provided this month are the first round of the scholarship fund, with a total of 62 scholarships being awarded during the construction of the wind farm.

The Dogger Bank team said the students are studying diverse subjects such as flood management and cyber security.

They said both role of the NHS through the pandemic and climate change had been inspiring young people’s choices, with six scholars undertaking medical-related degrees and five undertaking degrees which can help prepare for a net-zero future.

Joshua Moore, 19, from South Shields, who is studying chemical engineering at the University of Manchester, is one of those to benefit.

The former Harton pupil said: “This scholarship has helped me with my studies as it helps give me some peace of mind when it comes to repaying my student loans, allowing me to focus wholly on my studies.”

Dogger Bank Wind Farm will be located more than 130km off the Yorkshire coast and will generate enough renewable energy to power six million UK homes.

A joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor and Eni, SSE Renewables is leading on Dogger Bank construction and delivery while Equinor will operate the wind farm on completion.

In June, Dogger Bank Wind Farm unveiled plans for a £1million construction fund to support the coastal communities where its onshore infrastructure is being developed.

The programme includes a significant investment in science, technology, engineering and maths, as well as an operators fund to support local causes. Further information is available at www.doggerbank.com/about/community/

Lindsay Dougan, community investment manager for Dogger Bank Wind Farm, said: “The quality of scholarship applications from students was very high and shows the excellent subjects being studied by local people. We are proud to help 25 young people take steps into further education and to support the workforce of the future as we continue our work to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm.”

Further details on the scholarship fund and the community investment from the wind farm can be found at www.doggerbank.com.

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