Masdar completes 95 foundations at £4bn UK offshore wind farm

Abu Dhabi’s Masdar and ScottishPower Renewables have completed the installation of all 95 foundations at the £4 billion East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm. The engineering milestone, confirmed on Monday, 17 August, follows the placement of the largest monopiles ever installed from a jack-up vessel in Europe. Engineering Scale and Infrastructure Located off the Suffolk coast, the foundations consist of monopiles weighing between 1,200 and 1,800 tonnes each, with diameters reaching 10.6 metres. In addition to the monopiles, teams completed the installation of 95 transition pieces, each standing 20 metres tall and weighing over 400 tonnes. The contractor Seaway7 utilized the jack-up vessel Seaway Ventus to anchor more than 200,000 tonnes of steel across a seabed area equivalent to 43,000 football pitches. Husain Al Meer, Executive Director of Global Offshore Wind at Masdar, stated that the project is the company’s first 50:50 offshore wind joint venture in the UK. He noted that the project is a core component of Masdar's long-term strategy to address accelerating electricity demand through large-scale offshore wind capacity. Economic Impact and Energy Supply The project represents the second development under a €15 billion strategic partnership between Masdar and Iberdrola. It has directed nearly £2 billion into the UK supply chain, including turbine blade manufacturing at the Siemens Gamesa facility in Hull and foundation design by Wood Thilsted. The construction phase…