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 in at 1200 – 1800 t, standing 67 – 84 m tall, and with a diameter of up to 10.6 m, the monopiles are the largest to be installed from a jack-up vessel in Europe.
The installation of all 95 transition pieces – 20 m in height, 8 m in diameter, and weighing more than 400 t – has also been completed.
With turbine installation already underway, 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 1.4 GW of home-grown clean power to the UK.
Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables CEO, said: “East Anglia THREE is our biggest wind farm 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 t 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-m blades – the biggest built and used here in the UK – crosses the halfway mark and we move ever closer to bringing the wind farm’s 1.4 GW of clean energy to life.
“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 wind farm’s lifetime. That’s not just delivering a positive impact, it’s creating a powerful legacy.”
Husain Al Meer, Executive Director, Global Offshore Wind and UK at Masdar, added: “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 1.4 GW of clean energy, helping to meet rising demand and strengthen the UK’s energy security.”
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, concluded: “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 1 million UK homes.”
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