Masdar, ScottishPower Renewables mark major engineering milestone at East Anglia THREE windfarm

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar and ScottishPower Renewables 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 in at 1,200-1,800 tonnes, standing 67-84 metres tall and with a diameter of up to 10.6 metres, the monopiles are the largest to be 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, delivering 1.4GW of home-grown clean power to the UK.

Husain Al Meer, Executive Director, Global Offshore Wind and UK at Masdar, said, “The completion of foundation installation at East Anglia THREE is a significant milestone and a remarkable engineering achievement. It reflects the strength of our partnership with ScottishPower and the expertise of the project team and contractors, particularly Seaway7, who are working together to deliver one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms.

“East Anglia THREE is Masdar’s first 50:50 offshore wind joint venture in the UK and forms an important part of our 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 1.4GW of clean energy, helping to meet rising demand and strengthen the UK’s energy security, he added.

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.

“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 1.4GW of clean energy to life.”

He added, “ScottishPower Renewables and Masdar are not just powering millions of homes with homegrown 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.”

The foundation installation was delivered by Seaway7, with East Anglia THREE the first foundation installation campaign completed by its jack-up vessel, Seaway Ventus.

Lloyd Duthie, CEO Seaway7, said, “We are proud to have supported ScottishPower Renewables and Masdar in reaching this important milestone for East Anglia THREE. The completion of the foundation installation campaign reflects the strength of collaboration and demonstrates what can be achieved when experienced teams work together with a shared commitment to delivering the energy transition.

“With the foundations now in place, Seaway7 continues to progress the installation of inter-array cables to bring East Anglia THREE another step closer to delivering clean, reliable power to more than one million UK homes.”

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 the 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 1.4GW capacity will produce enough homegrown clean power for more than 1.3 million homes, providing greater energy security for the UK.

 WAM