East Anglia 3 offshore wind project is gearing up construction progress after signing charter agreements worth more than £16 million for provision of construction vessels. ScottishPower Renewables, a UK subsidiary of Iberdola Group, made the agreement with NR Marine Services and OEG. Together, NR Marine and OEG will provide 3 vessels to help with crew transfer and other support to progress the construction of the East Anglia 3 offshore wind farm. This comes at an especially important time as the project targets completion by 2026.
East Anglia 3 project factsheet
Location: 69km from the Suffolk coast, UK
Developer: ScottishPower Renewables
Wind farm area: 305 km2
Operational capacity: 1.4 GW
Turbine units: Up to 100
Turbine height: Approx. 262 meters
Rotor diameter: Approx 230 meters
Offshore converter station(s): 1
Onshore converter station(s): 1
Project application approval date: 7 August 2017
Start of construction: July 2022
Project completion date: 2026
The construction vessels
Caister-based NR Marine Services will provide two crew transfer vessels (CTVs), while Great Yarmouth-based OEG will provide a support vessel.
The NR Rebellion and NR Hunter will commence operations to progress East Anglia 3’s construction this April and later this year respectively. And with East Anglia 3 wind project’s operational date months away, OEG’s vessel, Tess, will glide the Southern North Sea waters, approximately 69 km off the Suffolk coast, keeping guard at the wind farm site.
A look at the East Anglia 3 offshore wind project
As part of Iberdola’s £6.5 billion ($7.7 billion) East Anglia Hub, East Anglia 3 is expected to produce up to 1,400 MW (1.4 GW) of renewable energy once completed in 2026. This is enough power to supply over 1.3 million households in the region, with an expected operational lifespan of up to 25 years.
The East Anglia 3 will also have one offshore converter station. The offshore converter station will connect to an onshore converter station located in Bramford. This will be through four subsea export cables, and several other underground cables with terminal connection at the landfall site.
Onshore development will comprise of 2 electrical and 3 fiber optics underground cables. The cables will stretch for over 37 km from the landfall point in Bawdsey to the converter station in Bramford. The onshore station will then connect to Bramford’s National Grid substation.
More on the project’s offerings and the new agreement
Alongside championing for renewable energy transition, East Anglia 3 is also banking on the local economy through offering jobs and supporting businesses. The latter is even more evident with the latest ScottishPower’s multi-million vessel agreements with Norfolk marine companies. “It is a source of great pride here at OEG that our collaboration with ScottishPower Renewables continues to flourish as our shared commitment to developing a truly robust local supply chain endures.” Said George Moore, the business development director for OEG.
Geared up to being the second largest offshore wind project in the world once operational in 2026, the latest mark of progress is a “win-win for the region and the UK”. And even more progressive is the workmanship spirit that the contract award winners put forth. “[… ] we [NR Marine Services] look forward to playing our part in seeing East Anglia THREE take shape over the coming weeks and months.” Said the director of NR Marine, Owen Nutt.
