Overview

The East Anglia Three Offshore Wind Farm is a greenfield project under construction in the UK's Southern North Sea. The offshore project is being developed by ScottishPower Renewables with a capacity of 1.4 GW. Expected to be operational by 2026, this 4 billion GBP project will utilize Siemens-Gamesa SG 14-236 DD turbines and contribute significantly to the United Kingdom's renewable energy targets.

The East Anglia Three project is part of a larger development zone known as the East Anglia Array, which encompasses several offshore wind farms. The first operational project within the zone is East Anglia ONE, with a capacity of 714 MW. Further projects like East Anglia TWO and East Anglia ONE North are also planned, aiming to maximize the wind power of the region.

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East Anglia 3 Location

Source: Scottishpower Renewables

The East Anglia Three Offshore wind project spans approximately 305km² and is situated approximately 69 km off the Suffolk coast, England. It is the second development within the East Anglia Zone, following the commissioning of the East Anglia One.

Read: Top Five Upcoming Offshore Wind Farm Power Projects in United Kingdom (UK)

Project Background

The East Anglia Three offshore wind farm is part of the East Anglia Hub, a macro-complex headed by ScottishPower Renewables, a subsidiary of Iberdrola. The whole project is valued at GBP 6.5 billion (USD 7.7 billion) and encompasses three major projects: East Anglia One, East Anglia Two, and East Anglia Three, collectively poised to generate 3.1 GW of renewable energy. 

The goal is to contribute to the UK Government's target of achieving 50 GW from offshore wind by 2030, in alignment with clean energy objectives.

East Anglia Three will provide green electricity to 1.3 million households in the UK. Public consultations initiated in November 2012 paved the way for community involvement and feedback gathering, spanning a period from 2013 to 2015. Following this, ScottishPower Renewables submitted an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate in November 2015, underlining the project's progression.

After examination, the Planning Inspectorate issued a recommendation report to the Secretary of State for BEIS in March 2017. Subsequently, in August 2017, the BEIS granted the Development Consent Order (DCO) for East Anglia Three, signaling official approval for the project's development.

In June 2019, BEIS approved a Non-Material Change, increasing the wind farm's overall capacity from 1,200 MW to 1,400 MW, indicative of adaptability and optimization efforts. Further enhancements were approved in April 2021 and August 2021, involving adjustments to offshore substations, wind turbine configurations, and capacity considerations.

Construction activities transitioned from planning to execution, with onshore construction commenced in July 2022. 

Project Timeline

Technical Specifications

The East Anglia Three offshore wind farm project will incorporate a multitude of technical features, including up to 100 offshore wind turbines and associated foundations. Towering at heights reaching up to 262 meters from tip to base and with rotor diameters starting from 230 meters, these turbines are designed to harness wind energy efficiently.

Supporting the turbines, the offshore infrastructure will comprise vital components such as an offshore converter station and four offshore substations. Additionally, an offshore platform will be designated for operational and accommodation purposes, ensuring the smooth functioning of the wind farm. The project will also deploy up to four subsea export cables to transmit the renewable electricity generated offshore to the onshore grid.

Onshore, the development will begin at the landfall site located in Bawdsey. Transition pits will facilitate the connection between offshore and onshore cables, with over 37 kilometers of underground onshore cable, including both electrical and fiber optic, linking the landfall site to the connection point at Bramford. At Bramford, an onshore converter station will be constructed to integrate the offshore wind farm with the existing National Grid infrastructure. 

Construction activities are already underway, with a focus on the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) onshore converter station at Bramford. 

The wind farm's grid connection will be facilitated through the onshore transformer substation at Bramford, with East Anglia Three and East Anglia One projects sharing a common landfall site at Bawdsey. This collaborative approach streamlines infrastructure deployment and enhances operational efficiency. 

The export cable system, comprising 320kV DC cables, will span 300 kilometers offshore and 80 kilometers onshore, further enhancing the project's capacity for power evacuation and distribution.

Contractors Involved

Project cost

East Anglia Three offshore wind farm has an estimated project cost of GBP 4 Billion. The project is part of the GBP 6.5 billion (USD 7.7 billion) East Anglia Hub, a 3.3 GW mega project developed by Iberdrola. 

Read: Top Five Upcoming Offshore Wind Farm Power Projects in Europe

Current Status & Future Outlook

The project is currently under construction, commenced in July 2022, and is expected to start its commercial operation in 2026. 

In October, Haizea Wind Group has manufactured the first monopile for East Anglia Three offshore wind project at its Bilbao facility. Under a March 2023 contract with ScottishPower Renewables, Haizea will deliver 50 monopiles and will handle material supply, engineering, and manufacturing. The Navantia-Windar consortium will produce the remaining 45 monopiles, with installation by Seaway7 planned for the 95-turbine wind farm.

According latest update in December, a pre-installation survey is scheduled to begin in early January 2025 and marked the start of offshore construction work.

Summary

The East Anglia Three Offshore Wind Farm is a greenfield project being developed by Scottish Power Renewables in the Southern North Sea, UK. With a capacity of 1.4 GW and a project value of GBP 4 billion, it is expected to be operational by 2026. Construction activities have already begun, and the project is on track for completion. Various contractors have been involved in different aspects of the project, including the supply and installation of wind turbines, the construction of converter stations, and the design of foundations.

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