Masdar, Iberdrola announce UK offshore wind deal

Masdar, a global clean energy leader, and Iberdrola, one of the world’s largest energy companies, have reached two major milestones with a co-investment in the UK’s East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm – one of the largest offshore wind transactions of the decade – and the full energisation of their 476MW Baltic Eagle project in Germany.

 These developments mark significant progress in delivering Europe and the UK’s offshore wind targets and advancing the companies’ €15 billion strategic partnership to accelerate clean energy deployment across key markets including the UK, Germany, and the US.

 Signed in December 2023, the Masdar–Iberdrola partnership is one of the largest bilateral alliances in the global clean energy sector. Together, these projects accelerate Europe’s offshore wind build-out and underscore Masdar and Iberdrola’s commitment to tripling global renewable capacity by 2030.

 Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, said, “Masdar and Iberdrola are continuing to forge one of the largest and most powerful strategic clean energy partnerships to accelerate capacity growth in Europe and worldwide. Offshore wind will play a crucial role in the global energy transformation, and landmark developments like Baltic Eagle and East Anglia THREE are significant advances towards clean energy targets in major European nations. With demand surging due to exponential AI growth and the rise of emerging markets, projects such as these have never been more critical."

 Masdar and Iberdrola will co-invest in the 1.4GW East Anglia THREE wind farm in the UK, in one of the largest offshore wind transactions of the decade. Under the agreement, each company will have a 50 percent stake in and co-governance of the asset, which will be pivotal in advancing Europe’s ambitious offshore wind development targets.

 All the conditions precedent have been achieved and the transaction is expected to close shortly.

 In addition, on 9th July the project financing for East Anglia Three was signed for approximately £3.5 billion - around €4.1 billion euros - with 24 international banks. Oversubscribed by 40 percent, the facility is one of the largest ever such transactions. It will cover a substantial part of the total costs of the project, without consolidating debt in any of the partners’ financial statements.

 Located off the Suffolk coast in the UK, East Anglia THREE will become one of the world’s two largest offshore wind farms when it comes into initial operation in Q4 2026, delivering enough clean energy to power 1.3 million British homes.

 The project benefits from long-term revenue security through a 15-year CPI-linked Contract for Difference (CfD) awarded in the UK Government’s AR4 and AR6 auctions, as well as a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Amazon signed in 2024. Over 2,300 jobs are expected to be created during construction, with 100 long-term roles supported across its lifetime.

 Masdar and Iberdrola have also celebrated the completion and full energisation of the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea.

 As the first project completed under the strategic partnership, the 476MW wind farm represents a major step forward in supporting Germany’s clean energy ambitions, reinforcing both companies’ leadership in renewable energy development. It will supply around 475,000 households with renewable energy while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 800,000 tonnes per year.

 Baltic Eagle is Masdar’s first project with Iberdrola, its first in Germany and resulted in the company’s largest ever euro-denominated financing.

 Ignacio Galán, Iberdrola’s Executive Chairman, said, “Joining forces with Masdar in the East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm will allow Iberdrola to accelerate our strategic focus on the UK, where we are investing £24 billion to 2028 in transmission and distribution networks and in renewable energy, contributing to the delivery of the UK Government’s ambitious electrification plans.”

 Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said, “This landmark partnership underscores our commitment to driving Europe’s energy transformation and advancing global climate goals.”

 Masdar and Iberdrola will continue to jointly invest in future clean energy projects in Europe and in other markets. Work to identify other opportunities is already underway, with the anticipated total value of joint investments in offshore wind and green hydrogen as part of the partnership calculated at €15 billion.

WAM