EAST ANGLIA ONE: End of East Anglia ONE signals start of East Anglia Hub

While perhaps a year to forget for many, 2020 will go down in history for many of the right reasons at ScottishPower Renewables and the Green Investment Group. With so much negativity publicised as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant effects of lockdowns on economies, people are crying out for something positive. In July, ScottishPower Renewables and the Green Investment Group announced the long-awaited news that the East Anglia ONE windfarm had been connected to the UK grid and was producing clean, reliable electricity. The 714MW windfarm can produce enough energy to power 630,000 households and has created jobs and wealth for the local economy. It is one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world and is located 43km off the coast of East England in the North Sea. On July 27, all of the Siemens Gamesa turbines were operational and the green power now travels from the 300km2 site through 66kv cables manufactured by JDR Cables in Hartlepool, along 85km undersea cables, across a 37km cable from landfall to the substation at Bramford, where it is transferred to the National Grid. The final stages of installation and connection were completed as the pandemic and lockdown continued to disrupt working life all over the world but the team on site came together to create a safe working environment that ensure on time completion. As a major contributor to the UK’s Net Zero by 2050 target, East Anglia ONE is being hailed as a success by all involved.

INCREDIBLE MILESTONE

“The final commissioning of East Anglia ONE is an incredible milestone for us and our project partners, as well as our wider stakeholders, the East Anglian region and the whole of the UK. And it comes at a crucial time as the UK takes it first steps towards a green economic recovery,” said Charlie Jordan, East Anglia ONE Project Director at ScottishPower Renewables. The journey to completion began back in Spring 2010 when a consultation with local stakeholders was undertaken. In June 2014, consent was given from the UK Planning Inspectorate. June 2015 saw Siemens appointed as supplier of turbines in the largest ever deal for the UK wind sector. First power was achieved in 2019 and the latest milestone comes as a result of collaboration, according to Jordan. “Reaching this point was always going to be an extremely important moment for us – heralding the start of full production of green energy from a major site that will play a real part in the UK’s path to Net Zero,” he said. “What has made it even more incredible is the determination and tenacity of our team, who have worked tirelessly to deliver this significant technical project amidst an unprecedented pandemic, which none of us could have planned for. This was also the first time we have worked with Green Investment Group, and I would like to thank them for their support. “I am extremely proud of everyone involved who has helped to deliver the project, doing so in a safe manner. I am delighted East Anglia ONE will play a leading role in the region’s green energy production, and will also become a hub of industry, investment and skills as we continue to build the green energy sector that’s so important for our future.” Green Investment Group (part of Macquarie Group), who bought into the project with a 40% stake in 2019, were delighted with progress and highlighted the important contribution of its group to Net Zero efforts. “Successfully commissioning one of the world’s largest offshore windfarms on time, despite all of the challenges posed by Covid-19, is a testament to the incredible efforts of the whole East Anglia ONE team – and the many UK businesses that have supported the project. Many congratulations to all involved,” said Edward Northam, Head of GIG Europe. “The completion of this project brings the total capacity of UK offshore wind supported by Macquarie and GIG to over 5.7 GW, across 14 projects.” UK LEADING THE WAY Of the worlds top 10 largest offshore windfarms, eight stand in UK water, and more are coming in the future. “East Anglia ONE is a reminder that the UK continues to lead the world in the successful delivery of offshore wind projects, and I’m proud of the role that Green Investment Group has played, and continues to play, in supporting and funding the development of this market. We remain committed to accelerating the UK’s energy transition and believe offshore wind will be at the heart of the UK’s net zero energy system,” added Northam. Each of the 102 Siemens Gamesa SWT-7.0-154 turbines sits atop a 90m tower and turns three 75m fibre glass blades. The entire structure was assembled and shipped from Great Yarmouth port which received some £5 million investment to mobilise for the project. During a pandemic and lockdown this type of activity brings its own challenges. Andrew Elmes, East Anglia ONE Senior Project Manager at Siemens Gamesa, said: “The team reacted superbly to the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing East Anglia ONE from being derailed by the unprecedented situation. Safety issues to be managed in a critical period included: complete vessel, accommodation, and crew reorganisations; quarantine events, social distancing, suspect cases and testing onsite. We are extremely proud to have done so while achieving several key customer – and Siemens Gamesa – business milestones, despite the uncertainty. We’ve now commissioned the entire offshore wind power project, making real our commitment to providing clean energy for generations to come.” With East Anglia ONE proving what is possible in the UK North Sea, preparations are already well underway for expanding the project to incorporate more MW and bigger generating capacity. ScottishPower Renewables has outlined plans for major expansion on the East Anglia ONE project, adding East Anglia ONE North, East Anglia TWO and East Anglia THREE wind farms to create the East Anglia Hub – a facility with generating capacity of 3.1GW through 263 next generation turbines. Initial estimates suggest the hub could power 2.7 million homes. EAST ANGLIA HUB East Anglia ONE North will consist of a 208km2 area generating 800MW. East Anglia TWO will create 900MW from 218.4km2. East Anglia THREE will use more than 100 turbines across 305km2 and generate an estimated 1400MW. All consent and planning applications are set to be finalised by 2021 with construction set to begin in 2022 over a four-year period. The £6.5 billion project will be the largest for Iberdrola – the Spanish company that owns ScottishPower Renewables. “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,” said Jonathan Cole, Managing Director for Global Offshore Wind at Iberdrola. “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 the 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.” In July, ScottishPower Renewables signed the first major contract for the East Anglia Hub with Fugro. Fugro will undertake geophysical surveys and site investigations across the project sites and export cable corridors in 2020 and 2021. Ross Ovens, Project Director for the East Anglia Hub said: “The benefits of the Hub surpass green energy provision and will bring a wealth of opportunities to the local and national economy with long-term investment and job creation during all phases of the project. This initial contract to Fugro is one of the first examples of this and we look forward to bringing more opportunities to specialists in a number of fields, providing sustainable, socio-economic and environmental benefits for decades to come.” With the changing demands on the energy generation mix, and the UK’s Net Zero target deadlines edging ever closer, now is a very important time for policy makers and developers as they work during a pandemic to ensure things remain on track for a cleaner, green future. Currently, the UK generates 33% of its power from wind and solar. Iberdrola, ScottishPower Renewables, and Green Investment Group are working hard to increase this and East Anglia ONE achieving completion is the perfect start.