Offshore Construction Start

RWE’s official Norfolk Zone project website states that while construction of the shared onshore cable route for the Vanguard West, Vanguard East and Boreas offshore wind farms is already underway, offshore construction is expected to begin early in 2027. As Norfolk Vanguard West is one of the three consented projects in this cluster, this schedule applies directly to the start of offshore construction activities at the Norfolk Vanguard West project site. The projects are described as having secured seabed rights, grid connections, Development Consent Orders and all other essential permits, indicating that regulatory prerequisites for moving into the offshore build phase have been satisfied. Each project, including Vanguard West, is designed for 1.4 GW of capacity and will be located 47–80 km off the Norfolk coast in East Anglia, a region highlighted as a major hub for offshore wind development. Additional project information confirms that onshore construction of the underground cable route began in 2023 and is well underway, with a 2024 timeline showing continued onshore works at the substation site and along the westernmost section of the cable route. This progression of onshore works, together with fully awarded Development Consent Orders for Norfolk Vanguard and the wider permitting package, underpins the plan to initiate offshore construction in early 2027. The transition to offshore construction for Norfolk Vanguard West will mark a critical phase in delivering part of the cluster’s expected contribution of green electricity sufficient to power the equivalent of more than 4 million UK homes once all three projects are operational.