ScottishPower has embarked on the construction of its biggest-ever renewable energy project with the installation of the first foundation – or monopile – for a new offshore wind farm.
Standing at 83.89 metres tall, 10.6 metres in diameter, and weighing 1,800 tonnes, the monopile is also said to represent a new offshore wind industry record – becoming the largest installed in Europe to date from a jack-up vessel.
All told, the construction of the company’s £4bn East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm will see a further 94 mammoth monopiles installed.
Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables’ chief executive, said: “The installation of our first East Anglia THREE foundation is a real wow moment for both ScottishPower and Iberdrola. It represents a mammoth feat of engineering, skill and a huge amount of work.
“We’re talking an incredible 1,800 tonnes of steel, safely and securely lifted and then precisely placed in the exact spot in an area the size of almost 43,000 football pitches. We’ve never built anything of this scale before!
“East Anglia THREE will be the biggest-ever windfarm across the whole of the Iberdrola group and the second largest in the world when it comes into operation. To visibly see it starting to take shape in the North Sea is a real milestone moment and definitely something to be proud of.
“This project is a fantastic example of how we’re generating more secure, green electricity for the UK; investing in the country’s clean energy future; and supporting jobs and opportunities for decades to come.”
The monopile – manufactured by joint venture Navantia Seanergies Windar Renovables (JVNW) – was installed by the Seaway Ventus jack-up installation vessel.
Clean energy
It is the first of 95 monopiles being manufactured for the 1.4GW windfarm – the biggest in the ScottishPower and Iberdrola portfolios. JVNW is fabricating 45 of the 95 foundations for the project, with the remaining 50 being manufactured by Haizea.
Each of the 95 monopiles will be between 67 and 85 metres in length, up to 10.6 metres in diameter and weigh between 1,200 and 1,800 tonnes. They will support 95 14.7MW Siemens Gamesa turbines that will generate a total of 1,400MW of clean energy – enough to power the equivalent of more than 1.3m homes.
The first of the 95 transition pieces – produced by Windar Renovables – has also been installed, with each 20 metres in height, eight metres in diameter, and weighing more than 400 tonnes.
Seaway7 is installing all of the East Anglia THREE monopiles and transition pieces. To achieve this, the Seaway Ventus jack-up vessel has been fitted with a custom-built mission equipment spread that was designed, fabricated, and installed in under two years to meet the project schedule and performance requirements.
Lloyd Duthie, Seaway7 vice president UK, Ireland & Asia, said: “We are proud to have successfully installed the first foundation for East Anglia THREE. This achievement comes after two years of preparation, resulting in Seaway Ventus installing the largest monopile from a jack-up vessel in Europe.
“It really is testament to the scale of engineering that can be achieved together with partners across the supply chain. We look forward to progressing this significant multi-year construction project, encompassing foundation and inner-array cable installation, with ScottishPower Renewables to deliver a substantial contribution to the UK’s renewable energy ambitions.”
The installation of all 95 turbines is expected to be completed by early 2026.
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