ScottishPower Renewables has selected Siemens Gamesa as the preferred bidder to supply and install 14+MW wind turbines for its £6.5 billion East Anglia Hub programme offshore the UK.
More than 200 next-generation 14+MW turbines are planned for East Anglia ONE North, TWO, and THREE projects in the southern North Sea – collectively known as the East Anglia Hub, Iberdrola, the parent company of ScottishPower Renewables, said.
The two companies have agreed to work together ahead of the next Contracts for Difference auction – scheduled for later this year – to optimise the projects, with the ambition of then signing turbine supply and installation agreements.
Selecting a preferred bidder at such an early stage in the development of the Hub projects creates the opportunity for ScottishPower Renewables and Siemens Gamesa to develop the turbine design and the Hub programme hand in hand, which will help achieve further efficiencies and maximise local supply chain opportunities, Iberdrola said.
The East Anglia Hub projects have the potential to deliver more than 7.5 per cent of the UK’s 40 GW target for offshore wind generation by 2030 as set out in the Government’s Ten Point Plan. To deliver on the Plan’s ambitions, this year’s Contracts for Difference auction will need to ensure sufficient deployment to put the UK on track to achieve this target.
“Offshore wind is now one of the cheapest forms of renewable generation and the approach we’re taking with East Anglia Hub – in conjunction with SGRE – shows just how far the industry has come and how well placed we are to deliver the Government’s 40GW target for offshore wind within the next decade,” Jonathan Cole , Offshore Managing Director of Iberdrola, said.
“Taking advantage of the most innovative technology available to ensure East Anglia Hub is home to some of the biggest and most productive turbines on the market would allow us to realise even greater economies of scale, helping to deliver a cleaner and greener future for us all.”
This preferred supplier agreement builds on the companies’ track record in working together to deliver the East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm, which was completed last year.
The Hub projects would create a pipeline of continued economic investment that will support jobs and opportunities across the East of England. ScottishPower Renewables will continue to work closely with local authorities, groups and local colleges to maximise the potential positive outcomes for local people, building on the success of East Anglia ONE.
The company will also continue to work with local stakeholders to deliver internship and project-based work, providing young people across East Anglia with valuable work experience and industry knowledge that could set them up for a future career.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Iberdrola towards the next CfD auction to potentially construct another world-leading wind power plant, the East Anglia Hub, following the successful completion of the East Anglia ONE project in 2020,” Andreas Nauen , CEO at Siemens Gamesa, said.
“This project’s development could be significant for many reasons, including the input that it will make to both the UK’s National Grid and to employment on the east coast of England. For Siemens Gamesa, the potential deployment of our most innovative offshore wind turbine would enable us to additionally aid the UK government’s plans for the green recovery by delivering clean energy and meaningful employment for years to come.”
The initial 1,400 MW of power to be generated through the Hub projects via East Anglia THREE has secured planning consent. Planning applications for East Anglia ONE North (800 MW) and East Anglia TWO (900 MW) are currently being examined by the UK Planning Inspectorate.
Subject to the outcome of the planning considerations, construction of the East Anglia Hub is expected to commence in 2023, with completion in 2026.