The world’s biggest offshore wind project, the 3.6GW Dogger Bank, has passed its first key progress test under UK government support rules despite “unprecedented” Covid and legal challenges, officials said.

The three-stage Dogger Bank was among a clutch of projects to achieve their first Milestone Requirement (MR) under rules governing the contract-for-difference (CfD) power deals they were offered in the third round of UK renewables auctions in October 2019.