Offshore Construction Start

Offshore construction on the 1.4 GW East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm formally began on 25 April 2025 with the installation of the project’s first monopile foundation in the North Sea. ScottishPower Renewables announced that this milestone officially marks the start of the offshore construction programme for its biggest‑ever renewables project, valued at around £4 billion. The initial monopile, standing 83.89 metres tall, 10.6 metres in diameter and weighing 1,800 tonnes, was installed by the jack‑up vessel Seaway Ventus and set a new European offshore industry record as the largest monopile installed to date from a jack‑up vessel. This first unit is one of 95 monopiles that will support the turbines of East Anglia THREE, which is described as the largest wind farm in the ScottishPower and Iberdrola portfolios and expected to become the world’s second‑largest when operational. In parallel with the first monopile, the first of 95 transition pieces, produced by Windar Renovables and measuring 20 metres in height and 8 metres in diameter, has also been installed offshore. The foundations and transition pieces are being manufactured by Haizea Wind Group and the Navantia‑Windar consortium, while Seaway7, using Seaway Ventus, is contracted for the transport and installation of all monopiles and transition pieces, as well as associated seabed preparation, scour protection, and inter‑array cable installation. With offshore construction now underway, the project is moving from preparation into full marine installation activity, with all 95 Siemens Gamesa 14+ MW turbines scheduled to be installed by early 2026, paving the way for East Anglia THREE to begin generating large volumes of green electricity for the UK.