The £25 million state-of-the-art new operations and maintenance building for East Anglia’s largest offshore windfarm to date has officially opened its doors.
The building was officially opened last week by Waveney MP, Peter Aldous and Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables Project Director for East Anglia ONE.
The operations and maintenance building will be the base for up to 100 full-time employees, including skilled engineers and technicians, for the 30-plus year lifespan of the windfarm. The site is already a hive of activity welcoming hundreds of contractors and supply chain operators, contributing substantially to the local economy.
Norwich and London based architectural practice LSI Architects worked in collaboration with Arup to design the new base, located in the port of Lowestoft.
Peter Durrant, Director at LSI Architects, commented: “The new building provides technically suitable facilities for the complex needs of the operation and maintenance phases of the client’s work. LSI Architects understanding of the technical requirements of the site has helped to inform the design, for example through the use of robust contextual materials to withstand the harsh coastal environment and a split ground floor level to manage flood risk.
The building is segregated into office, technical and warehousing spaces and the management of people through these areas are key to the security and efficient operation of the building. Externally the building presents a simple form, mirroring the silhouette of the surrounding warehouse buildings whilst setting itself apart with a clean glazed gable and ground floor, providing an attractive presence to the public façades of the building and allowing views through this corner and out across the harbour.”
Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables Project Director for East Anglia ONE, said: “Lowestoft is the home of East Anglia ONE, and to see the operations and maintenance building fully up and running really demonstrates that fact. It’s not just the base of operations for the windfarm, but a symbol of our long-term commitment to the region and our drive to grow the offshore wind industry in Lowestoft and East Anglia.
“In just 14 months, the construction team have turned an empty site on the Port of Lowestoft into a state-of-the-art establishment and we are grateful for all of the work which has made the base into what you see today. Most of the operations and maintenance team are based within a few miles of the site and have worked on other local windfarms, bringing with them great knowledge and expertise. This has allowed us to perfect design elements of the base, making it super-efficient and reinforcing the East of England’s leading position in the sector.
“With the windfarm due to be complete next year, the building is already buzzing with local employees and contractors all helping us to create clean, green energy to meet the UK’s carbon reduction targets.”
Waveney MP, Peter Aldous, said: “The opening of the East Anglia ONE operations and maintenance base is a big moment for Lowestoft and the wider Waveney area. It demonstrates a significant investment in our town. East Anglia ONE is providing important job opportunities for people locally and across the region, both offshore and onshore, as well as through the local supply chain.
“Lowestoft has a proud maritime heritage and the substantial growth of the offshore wind industry, particularly off the coast of East Anglia, will see more generations making a career out at sea. It is great to see Lowestoft leading the way in the UK’s offshore wind revolution.”