This is a milestone year for ScottishPower Renewables in East Anglia, with our second offshore wind farm coming into operation and onshore construction progressing at pace for our third.

Our East Anglia ONE, TWO and THREE wind farms – representing investment of more than £10 billion – are driving our green generation growth within the UK.

These projects will pump billions of pounds into the UK economy, supporting the supply chain, the jobs and the growth at the heart of the clean power transition.

They’re also brilliant examples of how much the offshore wind industry has evolved since the UK’s first offshore wind farm was built at the start of this century.

When I joined ScottishPower in 2014, we had just installed our first offshore wind project – a technical and project management feat at the time.

Fast forward to 2026 and we’ve almost trebled our UK offshore operational capacity, while the turbines we’re installing today generate more electricity in one rotation than those first ones did in four.

That’s an incredible evolution in a relatively short space of time, reflecting the increasing maturity of an industry that will do the heavy lifting as we head towards Clean Power 2030.

I remember years ago, a former boss once laughed and told me the idea of a 10MW turbine was absurd after I projected that turbines would eventually grow larger than the London Eye.

We surpassed that projection with our East Anglia ONE wind farm, which came into operation in 2020, with our 7MW turbines towering 30m taller than the much-loved tourist attraction.

And we’re going even bigger with East Anglia THREE. Its 14.7MW turbines will stand at an impressive 262m tall, with East Anglia TWO’s turbines set to be our most powerful when they come into operation in 2028.

Together, these massive projects will deliver more than 3GW of green electricity, enough to power around three million homes for a clean energy future.

As our projects and our ambitions have grown, we’ve established strong collaborations with strategic investment partners Bilbao Offshore Holding Limited and Masdar, accelerating the deployment of renewable energy at scale.

Alongside this growing amount of renewable energy, one of the most rewarding changes I’ve witnessed across the industry is the positive impact we’re having on local people and communities.

Our projects support thousands of jobs during construction – with EA ONE hitting the 3,500 mark at its peak – and will support hundreds of long-term high-skilled local jobs over the lifetime of the wind farms.

We’ve also been pivotal in supporting the domestic supply chain and helping local companies prosper, with ScottishPower’s investment in companies registered in East Anglia exceeding £62 million over the last five years.

Add in our skills development work and partnerships with local good causes, and it’s clear to see we’re creating a long-lasting and impactful legacy across East Anglia.

I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years and beyond will bring thanks to East Anglia ONE, TWO and THREE.

For more information, please visit spreastanglia.com

This story is also published in Insight Energy magazine, covering the latest news from the UK's energy sector. Read the latest edition here. 

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