ScottishPower Renewables’ 3.1GW East Anglia Offshore Wind Hub
In order to increase the speed of development of offshore wind power in the UK, ScottishPower Renewables has announced that it intends to combine three projects (East Anglia One North, Two and Three) into one single delivery programme with a capacity of 3.1 gigawatts (GW), 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 1.4 GW (East Anglia Three) already has planning consent. Planning applications for the further 1.7 GW (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.
“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.
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.
