ScottishPower, part of Iberdrola, and Masdar have installed the first turbine at the $5.4 billion (£4 billion) East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm, marking a U.K. record with blades measuring 115 meters.
The blades are the largest manufactured and installed for a project in U.K. waters, exceeding the previous record of 108 meters, the companies said.
All 285 blades for the project’s 95 turbines are being produced at Siemens Gamesa’s factory in Hull.
The 14 MW turbines stand about 262 meters tall and have a rotor diameter of 236 meters.
When completed, the 1.4 GW windfarm will generate enough electricity to power more than 1.3 million homes.
The turbine installation is being carried out by Cadeler’s Wind Osprey jack-up vessel, with a second vessel, Wind Pace, expected to join the installation campaign.
“East Anglia THREE will be the biggest and most powerful offshore windfarm in our portfolio. That means billions of pounds invested in U.K. and global supply chains; thousands of jobs supported during construction; more than a hundred long-term roles created in the East of England; and greater energy security, with more clean power coming on to the grid than ever before,” said Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables Chief Executive.
The wind farm is located off the Suffolk coast and is expected to be one of the world’s largest offshore wind projects once operational.