The construction of ScottishPower’s largest renewable energy project to date, the £4 billion 1,400 megawatt (MW) East Anglia 3 offshore wind farm, has officially commenced with the installation of the first foundation.
The foundation, a giant 83.89-meter tall monopile, is the largest to be installed from a jack-up vessel in Europe, marking a significant milestone for both ScottishPower and the offshore wind industry. Weighing 1,800 tonnes and with a diameter of 10.6 meters, the monopile sets a new industry record.
Charlie Jordan, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, described the installation as a remarkable achievement: “The installation of our first East Anglia 3 foundation is a real wow moment for both ScottishPower and Iberdrola. It represents a mammoth feat of engineering, skill and a huge amount of work.”
Jordan highlighted the scale of the operation, stating, “We’re talking an incredible 1800 tonnes of steel, safely and securely lifted and then precisely placed in the exact spot in an area the size of almost 43,000 football pitches. We’ve never built anything of this scale before.”
The East Anglia 3 project, once completed, will become the largest wind farm within the Iberdrola group and the second largest in the world. It will feature 95 Siemens Gamesa turbines, each generating 14.7MW, collectively producing enough clean energy to power over 1.3 million homes.
The monopile was manufactured by the Joint Venture Navantia Seanergies Windar Renovables (JVNW) and installed by the Seaway Ventus jack-up vessel, which is also responsible for installing all 95 monopiles and transition pieces for the project. The Seaway Ventus vessel has been equipped with a custom-built mission equipment spread, designed and installed in under two years to meet the project’s demanding schedule and performance needs.
Lloyd Duthie, Vice President of Seaway7 for the UK, Ireland, and Asia, expressed pride in the achievement: “We are proud to have successfully installed the first foundation for East Anglia 3. This achievement comes after two years of preparation, resulting in Seaway Ventus installing the largest monopile from a jack-up vessel in Europe.”
The project is a key part of the UK’s renewable energy ambitions, with installation of all 95 turbines expected to be completed by early 2026.
