How the world's largest wind farm added social value to the community

The Dogger Bank Wind Farm (DBWF) commenced construction in 2019 and as part of their ongoing commitment to support the local communities in which they operate, DBWF invested £1m during wind farm construction into supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education projects in three local authority areas: Redcar and Cleveland, East Riding of Yorkshire and South Tyneside. This included STEM education support and provision in primary and secondary schools which was tailored to address individual needs of each area, a Scholarship Fund to support local STEM students to finance their studies, and an Operational Fund to provide small grants to local community groups in the aftermath of Covid.

The evaluation concluded that the investment had enhanced STEM provision at a primary and secondary level, had fostered local collaboration between education providers and local STEM employers, and broken-down stereotypes surrounding STEM related careers. The progress highlighted in the report demonstrates what can be achieved when industry works together with local authorities and communities to create opportunities for coastal communities to flourish.

The evaluation concluded that Dogger Bank Wind Farm is a market leader for its commitment to evaluating outcomes and areas for improvement in its community investment and demonstrates good practice for how social value commitments arising from major investment in renewables can drive local community benefits.

The full evaluation report can be found by clicking here.    

Please get in touch with lauren.newby@ekosgen.co.uk or emma.cox@ekosgen.co.uk if we can help your company to evaluate the impacts of your social value commitments.