ScottishPower has formalised a £1.3 billion contract with Siemens Gamesa for the supply of 95 14.7MW wind turbines for the 1.3GW East Anglia Three offshore windfarm.
Keith Anderson, ScottishPower chief executive, said: “This is the highest value contract ever awarded by ScottishPower and it clearly demonstrates our drive and determination to decarbonise the UK.
“Our agreement with Siemens Gamesa is a massive step forward for East Anglia Three, a project that has been more than 13 years in the making. We are now finalising our other contractual commitments so we can all achieve the clean energy future we want – and need.”
Ignacio Galan, Executive Chairman of ScottishPower’s parent company Iberdrola, said: “The scale and ambition of this investment will support UK’s commitment to net zero and energy security. East Anglia Three offshore windfarm will bring homegrown green electricity to the grid for 1.3 million homes. And, as part of the East Anglia Hub projects, it will also deliver billions of pounds of investment and support thousands of jobs in the East of England and across the UK”.
Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK is a world leader in offshore-wind, being home to the four largest windfarms in the world, which make a crucial contribution to our energy security and independence, powering more of Britain from Britain.
“Today’s £1.3billion investment from Iberdrola is testament to that, serving as a vote of confidence in the UK’s green economy and creating thousands of jobs.”
East Anglia Three will be constructed in the Southern North Sea, 69km offshore from Great Yarmouth on the Norfolk coast and is part of the East Anglia zone. ScottishPower has already placed contracts worth nearly £70million with UK companies for EA3 and it is estimated that the company will invest over £2billion within the UK to support the construction and operation of East Anglia throughout the project’s lifetime.