Siemens Gamesa has signed an order with ScottishPower Renewables to supply 95 units of its flagship SG 14-236 DD wind turbine to the East Anglia 3 wind power project off England’s east coast, with a total capacity of 1.4 GW. 

 

Also included is a service contract, initially for an eight-year period. The development marks an important step on the UK’s path to decarbonisation of the energy system, and the first installation of the SG 14-236 DD in the country.

 

East Anglia 3 is the second of four projects planned in the ScottishPower Renewables 2.9 GW East Anglia Hub development in the North Sea. The project will cover an area of approximately 305 sq km, at its closest point 69 km from the Norfolk coast, in the northern part of the East Anglia zone. Once completed, it will be the second largest offshore wind power plant in the world, providing clean electricity to 1.3 million UK homes. Installation is anticipated to begin in spring 2026 and to be completed by the end of that year. 

 

Economic challenges

Siemens Gamesa has been severely impacted by the economic challenges facing renewables supply chains, and this firm order has only been possible due to the parties' unwavering commitment to support the project. 

 

Siemens Gamesa leads the industry in calling upon the UK government to support the renewables industry to deliver more such developments, which are the only way the country can meet its targets for clean, secure and affordable electricity by 2030.

 

Siemens Gamesa Offshore CEO Marc Becker says: “East Anglia 3 is critical to the successful achievement of the UK’s decarbonisation of energy, and its path to energy independence. It also marks the first deployment of the groundbreaking SG 14-236 DD offshore wind turbine in UK waters. In these challenging times, it is encouraging to sign this firm order with ScottishPower Renewables as we jointly move to a more financially sustainable wind industry, but we need the UK government to fully recognise that renewable energy, especially wind generation, is now on the same level of importance as oil and gas and requires similar levels of support to ensure it delivers what the UK needs to reach crucial Net Zero targets.”

 

Market leading

ScottishPower Renewables CEO, Charlie Jordan, says: “Continued ambition and innovation in turbine technology by partners such as Siemens Gamesa has allowed ScottishPower to purchase market leading turbines at a scale that will generate enough green energy to supply 1.3 million UK homes."

 

A grid connection solution from Siemens Energy will ensure that the electricity from wind power can be brought to shore. According to the contract signed last year, Siemens Energy will build a converter on the high seas that will collect the alternating current generated by the Siemens Gamesa wind turbines and convert it into direct current for low-loss transmission to the coast. 

 

A second converter on land will transform the power back into alternating current so that it can be fed into the local grid and eventually be supplied to consumers.

 

Anticipated lifetime

The anticipated lifetime of the project will be 25 years, which from 2026 will take the power generation of the East Anglia 3 development beyond the UK’s 2050 net-zero target. The prototype of the flagship SG 14-236 DD model recently generated its first power at the Østerild Test Centre in Denmark. 

 

Since its launch a year ago, this model has already made Siemens Gamesa a preferred supplier for projects totalling another 2.8 GW in Denmark and Poland.-- TradeArabia News Service