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All 95 foundations have now been installed at the £4 billion East Anglia Three offshore wind farm off the Suffolk coast, marking a major construction breakthrough for ScottishPower Renewables and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar.
The partners confirmed completion of the foundation phase at the 1.4GW project, with turbine installation already in progress. Onshore and offshore works will continue through the coming months as the development targets full operation by the end of 2026, supplying home-grown clean power to the UK.
Each monopile foundation weighs between 1,200 and 1,800 tonnes, stands 67–84 metres tall and measures up to 10.6 metres in diameter — the largest to be installed from a jack-up vessel in Europe. All 95 transition pieces have also been fitted; they are 20 metres high, 8 metres in diameter and each weighs more than 400 tonnes.
Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables CEO, said: "East Anglia THREE is our biggest windfarm ever and the completion of the foundation installation is a true engineering triumph. You only have to look at the numbers – more than 200,000 tonnes of steel anchored spot on into a seabed area the size of almost 43,000 football pitches – to get a sense of what we've achieved so far. It's mind-blowing.
"And there's more to come as the installation of the 95 turbines, with huge 115-metre blades – the biggest built and used here in the UK – crosses the halfway mark and we move ever closer to bringing the windfarm's 1.4GW of clean energy to life.
"ScottishPower Renewables and Masdar are not just powering millions of homes with homegrown renewable electricity, we're energising a cleaner, greener and more prosperous future for us all with almost £2 billion invested in the domestic supply chain, thousands of jobs supported during construction and around 100 jobs delivered during the windfarm's lifetime. That's not just delivering a positive impact, it's creating a powerful legacy."
Husain Al Meer, Executive Director, Global Offshore Wind and UK at Masdar said: "The completion of foundation installation at East Anglia THREE is a significant milestone and a remarkable engineering achievement. It reflects the strength of our partnership with ScottishPower and the expertise of the project team and contractors, particularly Seaway7, who are working together to deliver one of the UK's largest offshore windfarms.
"East Anglia THREE is Masdar's first 50:50 offshore wind joint venture in the UK and forms an important part of our long-term commitment to the UK offshore wind industry. With electricity demand accelerating, offshore wind will be essential to delivering affordable, home-grown power at scale. Once operational, East Anglia THREE will provide 1.4GW of clean energy, helping to meet rising demand and strengthen the UK's energy security."
Seaway7 led the foundation installation, with East Anglia Three the first foundation campaign completed by its jack-up vessel, Seaway Ventus. Work is now advancing on installing the inter-array cables.
Lloyd Duthie, CEO Seaway7 said: "We are proud to have supported ScottishPower Renewables and Masdar in reaching this important milestone for East Anglia THREE. The completion of the foundation installation campaign reflects the strength of collaboration and demonstrates what can be achieved when experienced teams work together with a shared commitment to delivering the energy transition. With the foundations now in place, Seaway7 continues to progress the installation of inter-array cables to bring East Anglia THREE another step closer to delivering clean, reliable power to more than one million UK homes."
East Anglia Three is the second project to progress under Masdar and Iberdrola's €15 billion strategic partnership and the first in collaboration with ScottishPower in the UK. Nearly £2 billion has been channelled into the domestic supply chain, including foundation design by Wood Thilsted, blade manufacturing at Siemens Gamesa's factory in Hull, vessel charters from Norfolk-based NR Marine Services and OEG, and metocean and seabed support from Partrac.
The scheme is supporting around 2,300 jobs during construction and will create about 100 long-term roles in the East of England. Once operational, its 1.4GW capacity is expected to generate enough clean electricity for more than 1.3 million homes, bolstering the UK's energy security.
