ScottishPower and Siemens Gamesa agree £1.3bn windfarm contract

The contract award – ScottishPower’s largest to date – will see Siemens Gamesa supply 95 of its 14.7MW turbines to the windfarm, which will be constructed 69km offshore from Great Yarmouth on the Norfolk coast.

“The scale and ambition of this investment will support [the] UK’s commitment to net zero and energy security,” said Ignacio Galan, executive chairman of Iberdrola, ScottishPower’s parent company.

“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”.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak said: “I am delighted that ScottishPower and Iberdrola are investing in the UK – creating thousands of jobs and crucially helping millions of families keep their homes warm with cheaper, renewable energy.”

Ignacio Galan (right), executive chairman of ScottishPower's parent company Iberdrola, met prime minister Rishi Sunak and energy security and net zero secretary Grant Shapps at Downing Street this week (Image: Iberdrola)

Once completed, East Anglia Three will be the world’s second largest windfarm.

The project will support over 2,300 jobs during the two-year construction period and over 100 roles in operation and maintenance over the lifetime of the windfarm.

The 95 turbines supplied by Siemens Gamesa will have a combined capacity of 1,400MW, generating enough green energy to meet the annual demand of 1.3 million homes.

“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,” said Keith Anderson, chief executive of ScottishPower.

“We are now finalising our other contractual commitments so we can all achieve the clean energy future we want – and need.”