East Anglia 1

East Anglia ONE Offshore Wind Farm Profile

Location and Overview

• The East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm is located approximately 43 kilometers off the Suffolk coast in the southern North Sea, UK.
• It is part of the larger East Anglia Offshore Wind Zone, which proposes to install 7.2 GW of renewable power capacity in an area of 6,000 km².

Ownership and Development

• The project is developed by ScottishPower Renewables, a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renovables, following the acquisition of Vattenfall’s 50% share in the project in March 2015. The current ownership structure includes:
  • Iberdrola Group: 60%
  • Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG): 40%.

Capacity and Turbines

• The wind farm has an installed capacity of 714 MW, featuring 102 Siemens Gamesa offshore wind turbines, each with a 7 MW nameplate capacity.
• The turbines are of the SWT-7.0-154 model and reach a height of 167 meters with 75-meter long blades.

Area and Foundations

• The wind farm covers an area of 300 km², equivalent to 40,000 football pitches.
• The turbines are installed on jacket type foundations manufactured by Navantia in Spain, Lamprell in the UAE, and Harland & Wolff in Belfast, Ireland. The piles were built by Windar in Avilés, Spain.

Power Transmission

• The electricity generated is collected by the Andalucía II marine substation, manufactured by Navantia in Puerto Real, Spain. The power is transmitted to the coast via two 85 km long subsea cables and then through six 37 km long onshore cables to the Burstall sub-station, where it is connected to the national grid.

Construction and Timeline

• Onshore construction works began in early 2017, followed by offshore construction in 2018. The project entered commercial operation in December 2019.
• Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, around 20% of the turbine installation and half of the turbine connection work were completed during the lockdown period. Innovative working methods, such as using smaller vessels and creating crew ‘households,’ were implemented to ensure the project's timely completion.

Economic and Employment Impact

• The project involved an estimated investment of £2.5 billion and sustained almost 3,500 jobs during the construction phase. It has also created 100 long-term skilled jobs at the operations and maintenance base in Lowestoft.
• ScottishPower Renewables co-invested £5 million in Peel Ports Great Yarmouth to support the project, and over half of the project’s supply chain came from the UK market.

Operations and Maintenance

• The maintenance and operations base is located in Lowestoft Port and will handle daily operations for the fleet over its 30+ year working life. The base includes a maritime coordination centre, technical offices, and a warehouse, employing around 100 people.
• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is the O&M contractor for the project, with a 15-year operation and maintenance contract starting from 2019.

Environmental Impact and Benefits

• The wind farm is expected to produce enough renewable energy to power approximately 700,000 homes annually, contributing significantly to the UK’s targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving Net Zero by 2050.
• The project also includes innovative initiatives such as the "Frond Mats" project, which uses synthetic undersea vegetation to protect the wind turbines from erosion, resulting in economic savings.

Additional Projects in the Area

• East Anglia ONE is part of a larger development plan that includes East Anglia ONE North, East Anglia TWO, and East Anglia THREE, collectively known as the East Anglia Hub. These future projects will add up to a total installed capacity of 3,100 MW and require an investment of £6.5 billion.

In summary, the East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm is a significant renewable energy project that not only contributes to the UK's energy needs but also sets a precedent for innovative and resilient project management, even in challenging conditions.