East Anglia THREE windfarm completes all 95 foundations
ScottishPower Renewables and Masdar have finished installing all 95 foundations at the 1.4 GW East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm, moving the project closer to full operation by the end of 2026.
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The joint venture behind the East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm has reached a key construction milestone, with all 95 foundations now in place off the Suffolk coast. ScottishPower Renewables and Masdar, partners in the £4 billion project, confirmed the completion of this phase.
The foundations comprise 95 monopiles, each weighing between 1,200 and 1,800 tonnes and standing 67 to 84 metres tall, with diameters up to 10.6 metres. These are the largest monopiles ever installed from a jack-up vessel in Europe, according to the companies. Each monopile is topped with a transition piece, measuring 20 metres in height, 8 metres in diameter, and weighing more than 400 tonnes.
Seaway7 carried out the foundation installation, marking the first campaign for its jack-up vessel Seaway Ventus. The company is now continuing with the inter-array cables that will connect the turbines.
Turbine installation is already under way, with the project expected to become fully operational by the end of 2026. The windfarm will feature 95 turbines, each with blades measuring 115 metres in length, the largest built and used in the UK. Once complete, the 1.4 GW capacity will be enough to power more than 1.3 million UK homes.
The construction effort has involved more than 200,000 tonnes of steel, anchored in a seabed area roughly the size of 43,000 football pitches. The project has also invested nearly £2 billion in the UK supply chain, supporting jobs and local businesses.
During construction, the windfarm supports 2,300 jobs, and once operational it is expected to create around 100 long-term roles in the East of England. Key supply chain partners include Wood Thilsted for foundation design, Siemens Gamesa Hull for blade manufacturing, NR Marine Services and OEG for vessel charters, and Partrac for metocean and seabed services.
For Masdar, East Anglia THREE represents its first 50:50 offshore wind joint venture in the UK. It is also the second project under the €15 billion strategic partnership between Masdar and Iberdrola, and the first with ScottishPower in the UK.
Charlie Jordan, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, said: "East Anglia THREE is our biggest windfarm ever and the completion of the foundation installation is a true engineering triumph." Husain Al Meer, Executive Director at Masdar, commented: "The completion of foundation installation at East Anglia THREE is a significant milestone and a remarkable engineering achievement." Lloyd Duthie, CEO of Seaway7, added: "We are proud to have supported ScottishPower Renewables and Masdar in reaching this important milestone for East Anglia THREE."