ScottishPower Renewables and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar have completed a major construction milestone at the £4 billion East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm, with all 95 foundations now installed off the Suffolk coast.
Weighing between 1,200 and 1,800 tonnes, standing 67-84 metres tall and measuring up to 10.6 metres in diameter, the monopiles are the largest to have been installed from a jack-up vessel in Europe.
The installation of all 95 transition pieces – 20 metres in height, 8 metres in diameter and weighing more than 400 tonnes – has also been completed.
With turbine installation already under way, offshore and onshore construction will continue at pace over the coming months, clearing the way for East Anglia THREE to become fully operational by the end of 2026 and deliver 1.4 GW of home-grown clean power to the UK.
Second Project to Be Developed as Part of Masdar and Iberdrola’s Partnership
East Anglia THREE is the second project to be developed as part of Masdar and Iberdrola’s €15 billion strategic partnership and the first with ScottishPower in the UK.
The almost £2 billion invested in the UK supply chain includes foundation design by Wood Thilsted, the manufacturing of turbine blades at Siemens Gamesa’s factory in Hull, vessel charters from Norfolk-based NR Marine Services and OEG, and support from metocean and seabed consultants Partrac.
East Anglia THREE is supporting 2,300 jobs during construction and will create around a hundred long-term roles in the East of England.
Its 1.4 GW capacity will produce enough home-grown clean power for more than 1.3 million homes, providing greater energy security for the UK.
Masdar Builds First 50:50 Offshore Wind JV in UK
The foundation installation was delivered by Seaway7, with East Anglia THREE being the first foundation installation campaign completed by its jack-up vessel, Seaway Ventus. East Anglia THREE is Masdar’s first 50:50 offshore wind joint venture in the UK and forms an important part of its long-term commitment to the UK offshore wind industry.
With electricity demand accelerating, offshore wind will be essential to delivering affordable, home-grown power at scale. Once operational, East Anglia THREE will provide 1.4 GW of clean energy, helping to meet rising demand and strengthen the UK’s energy security.
Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables CEO, said, “East Anglia THREE is our biggest windfarm ever and the completion of the foundation installation is a true engineering triumph. You only have to look at the numbers – more than 200,000 tonnes of steel anchored spot on into a seabed area the size of almost 43,000 football pitches – to get a sense of what we’ve achieved so far. It’s mind-blowing.”
Jordan added, “And there’s more to come as the installation of the 95 turbines, with huge 115-metre blades – the biggest built and used here in the UK – crosses the halfway mark and we move ever closer to bringing the windfarm’s 1.4 GW of clean energy to life.”
Jordan further explained, “ScottishPower Renewables and Masdar are not just powering millions of homes with home-grown renewable electricity, we’re energising a cleaner, greener and more prosperous future for us all with almost £2 billion invested in the domestic supply chain, thousands of jobs supported during construction and around 100 jobs delivered during the windfarm’s lifetime. That’s not just delivering a positive impact, it’s creating a powerful legacy.”
