Overview

The East Anglia Two Offshore Wind Farm is a greenfield project currently in the permitting stage in the UK North Sea. Designed to contribute to the nation's energy needs through offshore wind power, the project is being developed by Scottish Power Renewables. With a targeted capacity of 900MW, it's expected to be completed in 2026.

The East Anglia TWO project is part of a larger initiative known as the East Anglia Array. This plan encompasses a series of offshore wind farms in North Sea situated off the east coast of the United Kingdom. The East Anglia One wind farm, with a capacity of 714MW, is the first operational project within the array.

East Anglia Three is currently under construction with an expected operational date of 2026, having a capacity of 1.4GW. Plans for the East Anglia ONE North project are underway, with a targeted capacity of 800MW. The entire East Anglia Zone power plants could reach a total capacity of 7.2GW, significantly contributing to the UK government's clean energy goals.

Project Background

The East Anglia TWO offshore windfarm, owned by ScottishPower Renewables, is part of the East Anglia Hub project, alongside East Anglia ONE North. Public engagement for this project commenced in 2017, with consultation activities extending until early 2019. 

These consultations involved various stakeholders, including the East Suffolk Council, local communities, and environmental groups. The application for development consent was formally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in October 2019.

The project received approval from the Secretary of State on 31 March 2022. Situated off the coast of Southwold in Suffolk, North Sea, the East Anglia TWO offshore wind farm is set to have an operational capacity of 900 MW, generating electricity to power approximately 800,000 UK households.

Construction is expected to begin in 2024, based on planning considerations, with commissioning targeted for 2026. The East Anglia TWO wind farm, alongside other projects within the East Anglia Hub, represents a significant capital investment of up to GBP 6.5 Billion. It is expected to contribute 7.5% toward the UK's offshore wind target of 40 GW by 2030.

Project Timeline

East anglia 2 Location

Source: Scottish Power Renewables

The East Anglia Two offshore wind farm is located in the southern North Sea, roughly 32.5 kilometers from the coast of Southwold, Suffolk coast, UK. Also, the offshore wind farm is approximately 37 kilometers away from the Lowestoft port. The wind farm will cover an area of approximately 218.4 square kilometers.

Technical Specifications

The East Anglia Two project is set to feature up to 75 wind turbines, each having a rated capacity of up to 19 MW. These turbines will reach a maximum blade tip height of 300m above sea level, accompanied by a maximum rotor diameter of 250m.

The wind farm's infrastructure will comprise inter-array link cables connecting the turbines to four offshore electrical platforms. Additionally, up to two export cables, buried or protected on the seabed, will transport the generated electricity to onshore facilities.

Onshore, the project entails the use of up to six single-core onshore cables, along with up to two fiber optic cables, buried for a maximum length of 9km. Trenching methods will facilitate the placement of ducts for cable routing for the majority of the route.

An onshore substation is proposed with a maximum height of 15m and covering an area of 36,100m². Power transmission to the national electricity grid will occur via a new transmission substation, incorporating air-insulated switchgear (AIS) or gas-insulated switchgear (GIS).

Within the National Grid substation in Suffolk, onshore infrastructure development includes an additional electricity pylon, two cable-sealing end compounds, and one cable-sealing end compound with a circuit breaker.

Contractors Involved

Project Cost

The East Anglia Two offshore wind farm is estimated to cost around GBP 3 billion. The East Anglia Two wind farm, a component of the East Anglia Hub program, is part of a significant capital investment totalling up to GBP 6.5 billion. 

This program encompasses three separate offshore wind farms and is projected to contribute 7.5% toward the UK's ambitious 40 GW offshore wind target for 2030. Additionally, the East Anglia One wind farm, commissioned in July 2020, required a total investment of GBP 2.5 billion.

Current Status & Future Outlook 

East Anglia Two offshore power plant is currently in the permitting stage and it will be developed in a single stage. Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with the wind farm commercially operational by 2026.

In April 2025, ScottishPower awarded an EPCIC contract to HSM Offshore Energy for the offshore substation (5,100 t) and jacket foundation (3,700 t). The construction is scheduled to start in Q4 2025 with jacket installation expected in Q3 2027 and topside in late 2027.

In December 2024, ScottishPower Renewables has appointed Taylor Woodrow to carry out preparatory civil works for the onshore substation of East Anglia Two offshore wind farm in Friston, Suffolk. The scope includes highway improvements and landscaping.

This follows other supplier contracts, including a GBP 1 billion turbine supply deal for the 64-turbine project, boosting the UK economy and offshore wind value chain.

Summary

The East Anglia Two Offshore Wind Farm is a greenfield project located in the UK North Sea. It is being developed by ScottishPower Renewables and has a targeted capacity of 900MW. The project is part of the larger East Anglia Array initiative, which aims to have a total capacity of 7.2GW. The East Anglia Two project received approval in March 2022 and is expected to begin construction in 2024, with completion targeted for 2026. The wind farm will feature up to 75 wind turbines with a maximum blade tip height of 300m. The estimated cost of the project is GBP 3 billion.

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