Iberdrola has started the construction of East Anglia THREE, its largest offshore wind farm to date and the second largest in the world. With an investment of over €4.6 billion, the project further strengthens the company’s global leadership in renewable energy.

Situated more than 60 kilometres off the UK coast in the North Sea, East Anglia THREE forms part of the broader East Anglia Hub, developed by Iberdrola through its subsidiary ScottishPower. The wind farm will have an installed capacity of 1,400 MW, enough to supply clean, locally-sourced and competitive electricity to over 1.3 million homes across the UK. It is expected to be fully operational by early 2026.

Record-breaking monopiles built in Spain

Construction has kicked off with the installation of the first monopile, a colossal structure measuring 84 metres in height, 10.6 metres in diameter and weighing 1,800 tonnes. It marks a record for the European offshore wind sector, as the largest monopile installed to date using a jack-up vessel. It was manufactured by Navantia and Windar Renovables at the Seanergies shipyard in Fene (Galicia) and installed by Seaway Ventus.

East Anglia THREE will include 95 monopiles, all manufactured by Spanish companies. The Navantia Seanergies – Windar Renovables joint venture will produce 45 monopiles, while Haizea Wind Group will fabricate the remaining 50. In addition, Windar Renovables will also deliver the 95 transition pieces, each measuring 20 metres high and weighing over 400 tonnes. The first of these has already been installed.

Powering over 1.3 million homes

The 95 turbines, each rated at 14.7 MW, will be supplied by Siemens Gamesa, enabling the project to contribute more than 3% of the UK Government’s target to reach 40 GW of offshore wind by 2030.

The initiative supports the UK’s energy independence while also delivering significant economic benefits for Spain. The production of 45 monopiles by Navantia – Windar alone will require 900,000 working hours over 15 months, generating around 450 jobs. Iberdrola’s partnership with these companies spans over a decade and exceeds €1 billion in contracts across the UK, Germany, France and the United States.

A key hub for the UK’s energy future

Iberdrola began developing the East Anglia Hub in 2022. It encompasses three wind farms — East Anglia ONE North, East Anglia TWO and East Anglia THREE — with a combined capacity of 2,900 MW, enough to provide clean energy to 2.7 million British homes, representing over 7.5% of the UK’s offshore wind target.