- Largest Round 3 Offshore Wind project to be consented in the UK and the first to be consented in English and Welsh waters.
- Three years of construction and 20 years of operations and maintenance could deliver £500m for the regional economy
- Project could generate enough power to meet the equivalent annual electricity demands of approximately 820,000 homes
- The 1200MW project could see construction begin in 2017 with first power exported in 2019
East Anglia One Offshore Wind , a joint venture between ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall, has today received consent from the Department for Energy & Climate Change for a 1200MW offshore windfarm off the coast of East Anglia, the largest renewable energy project ever to receive planning consent in England and Wales.
The East Anglia ONE project is also the first in England and Wales to be approved from the Crown Estate’s Round Three Process.
The planned development is for up to 240 wind turbines to be installed across an area of 300km2 in the southern North Sea. The project could power the annual electricity demands of around 820,000 homes*.
It is anticipated that the development, the first of six potential projects in the East Anglia Zone, could support up to 2,700 jobs across the UK during the construction phase, representing more than £170m for the UK economy for each year of construction. More than 1,600 construction jobs could be supported in the East Anglia region alone, adding over £100m to the regional economy annually during construction.
East Anglia Offshore Wind will now accelerate its contact with the supply chain and detailed negotiations will also take place to determine the Ports which could support the project. Following a final investment decision, it is anticipated that onshore construction could begin in 2017, with offshore work starting in 2018 and first power generation achieved in 2019.
ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall expect that up to 170 engineers and technicians would be required to provide operations and maintenance support for the project once completed. These jobs could be required for more than 20 years , potentially adding over £10m to the local economy on an annual basis.
In total, for the three years of construction and 20-plus years of operation for East Anglia ONE the region’s economy could be boosted by £500m and see nearly 1,800 jobs supported or secured.
During the planning process alone, more than £15m of contracts have been awarded to local companies working on the project and a £17m contract was awarded to Wood Group of Aberdeen for the construction and installation of weather monitoring masts.
Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, said:
“This is the largest renewable energy project ever to receive planning consent in England and Wales, and it is a significant achievement to see our plans approved, and an important step forward towards a final investment decision. Our project team has spent more than three years planning the details of this project, and consulting widely with communities and stakeholders across the East Anglia region.
“We will now take forward our discussions with the supply chain as we work towards unlocking the significant economic potential of the project. East Anglia ONE could support thousands of skilled jobs in construction and operation, and make a positive impact on the local and national economy for decades to come.
Gunnar Groebler, head of Vattenfall’s Continental/UK renewables division, said:
“The UK is a world leader in offshore wind and if it is to maintain that position it must continue reducing costs if the sector is to have a long term future. The investment in competitive UK and regional supply chains is essential to cost reduction in the sector but that investment will only be made if there is a pipeline of projects. Therefore the consent of a scheme like East Anglia ONE – which should be warmly welcomed by everyone – will boost business confidence and help secure more affordable, more reliable and greener power in the UK electricity mix.”
Huub den Rooijen, Head of Offshore Wind at The Crown Estate said:
“Today’s planning consent for East Anglia ONE is another great example of how the offshore wind sector continues to go from strength to strength. As one of the largest renewables projects to get consent in England and Wales, this announcement represents a great opportunity for UK jobs and the transition to a low carbon economy. In our role as manager of the UK seabed we are delighted to see such positive decisions coming through the planning process that will help cement the UK’s position as a global leader in offshore wind.”
Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said:
“This decision is very good news for the Norfolk economy and that of the rest of the East of England. East Anglia ONE will provide long term opportunities both for the Norfolk supply chain and for jobs. There are very few sectors which can plan 20 years ahead so this development will also open up significant opportunities for the region’s young people. There is still much to be finalised but there will certainly be a positive feeling across the business community about the future with this news.”
The full East Anglia ONE project could include:
- Offshore wind turbines and foundations (up to 240 wind turbines to provide an installed capacity of 1,200MW, figure subject to type and size of turbine)
- Up to three offshore collector stations and up to two offshore converter stations and their foundations to collect the electricity from the turbines and transform it to a form suitable for transfer to shore.
- Up to four seabed export cables, each around 73km in length, to transfer the electricity to shore.
- A landfall site with onshore transition pits to connect the offshore and onshore cables.
- Up to four onshore underground cables, each of around 37km in length, to transfer the electricity from landfall to an onshore converter station.
- Up to eight cable ducts for two future East Anglia projects to connect into Bramford Substation. This could limit the impact of future construction operations as cables for these future projects would be pulled through the pre-laid ducts
- An onshore converter station adjacent to the existing substation at Bramford, Suffolk, to connect the offshore windfarm to the National Grid.
