ScottishPower Renewables has announced plans to combine three projects into one, in order to increase the speed of development of offshore wind power in the UK.

The company intends to combine East Anglia One North, Two and Three into one single delivery programme with a capacity of 3,100 megawatts (MW), which will be known as The East Anglia Hub. The three projects will be procured together to leverage their scale with a continuous installation programme.

The company aims to begin construction in 2022, and envisages a 4-year construction period to complete the entire East Anglia Hub.

The initial 1,400 MW (East Anglia Three) already has planning consent. Planning applications for the further 1,700 MW (split between East Anglia One North, and East Anglia Two) have been submitted.

Jonathan Cole, Iberdrola's Managing Director for Global Offshore Wind, said: "The UK has a 2050 net zero carbon commitment, and to meet this, offshore wind will need to provide the lion's share of new renewable power for the country. This ambition is being supported by political parties across the UK and is highly achievable, but it needs ongoing commitment to a supportive regulatory framework that spans across government departments. This is likely to include reform of the grid and planning frameworks, as well as providing greater visibility of the future of the UK electricity market.

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"ScottishPower has a key role to play in the UK achieving its ‘Net Zero' decarbonisation requirements, given our role in producing electricity from only green sources, in transmitting and distributing that electricity and in engaging directly with millions of customers. With the strength of our renewable energy pipeline and our strong presence across the UK energy sector, we fully expect East Anglia Hub to be a key part of the UK's decarbonisation plans, regardless of whether that power will be sold via government backed contracts or private power sales arrangements.

"Today we are also setting a challenge to the wider supply chain in the offshore wind sector. If you want larger and more frequent orders, if you want to expand your business, if you want to employ more people, then continue to innovate and continue to engage with projects such as East Anglia Hub. We are being ambitious, and we want to work with companies who show similar confidence and appetite."

Overall investment required will be in the region of £6.5 billion. ScottishPower Renewables hopes to confirm the major suppliers within the next 10 months.

(MH/CM)