ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) and Vattenfall have agreed to independently take forward offshore wind farm projects within the East Anglia Zone. This follows on from industry-wide changes agreed with The Crown Estate, which will see ‘zone development agreements’ replaced with project specific agreements.
ScottishPower Renewables intends to focus on developing projects in the southern area of the zone, with Vattenfall developing projects in the northern section of the zone. The overall capacity remains at up to 7.2 gigawatts (GW) of potential, with each developer working on proposals for around half of the overall capacity.
In the southern area ScottishPower Renewables is developing the 714 MW East Anglia ONE project, which has planning consent and a Contract for Difference (CfD) in place. East Anglia THREE is also in development, with a capacity of up to 1,200MW, and a planning submission expected to be made by the end of the year. Negotiations are ongoing with The Crown Estate on additional projects within the southern area.
Vattenfall intends to take forward the East Anglia FOUR project in the northern area, and is in discussions with The Crown Estate to define further projects in this section of the zone.
Both companies will continue to work together closely on a range of common factors that cross over between the development areas, such as sharing offshore wind measuring equipment, zone wide survey data and other key interfaces.
Jonathan Cole, Managing Director for Offshore Wind at ScottishPower Renewables , said: “We have always believed that the East Anglia Zone has tremendous potential, with some of the best conditions anywhere in the world for developing offshore wind. Following several years of detailed investigations in the zone, the overall capacity that we hope build out has not materially changed, which confirms our original optimism. Now we need to move our focus from understanding the wider zone characteristics, which we have done successfully in partnership with Vattenfall, to ensuring that each individual project gets the specific attention that it requires.”
Gunnar Groebler, President of BA Wind at Vattenfall, said: “With the agreed development changes in place, we now have two experienced international energy companies focussing their resources on specific projects. This is the most effective and efficient way of taking these major projects forward. This progression in development means that the ability to fully realise the potential of the East Anglia zone has increased. Vattenfall wants to grow its wind business to deliver on ambitious commitments to reduce our carbon emissions. We see offshore wind as a vital sector and we see the UK as an important market. By developing the northern half of the zone Vattenfall can accelerate regional job creation, delivery of the UK’s climate change obligations and much needed cost reduction in the sector.”
Huub den Rooijen, Head of Offshore Wind at The Crown Estate , said: “Since being awarded exclusive rights to areas of seabed in 2009 to search and identify the best locations to develop offshore wind, developer focus is shifting to the development and delivery of the resulting projects. We’re working with ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall as they progress to project-specific agreements that will mark an important milestone in helping unlock the potential of the East Anglia Zone to deliver large scale low carbon energy.”