Work to install the first of the wind turbine at the UK’s Dogger Bank – on course to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm – is set to begin within days, said the companies behind the project.

Project partners SSE, Equinor and Vargronn said the installation of the first of the 277 13MW GE Haliade-X machine is expected to get underway at the weekend by the Voltaire vessel that has set sail with the turbine components.

Dogger Bank will when fully built-out at a cost of some £11bn ($14bn) have a capacity of 3.6GW and supply enough power for six million UK homes, making the project a new benchmark in the ambition of the global offshore wind sector.

SSE CEO Alistair Phillips-Davies said:“Dogger Bank is one of the biggest and most complex engineering and infrastructure projects anywhere in the world.

“Our progress here with our joint venture partners Equinor and Vargronn proves that offshore wind projects of this size are now mainstream and will help turbocharge the transition to the cheaper, cleaner and more secure energy system we all want to see.”