Iberdrola’s ScottishPower Renewables has signed charter agreements with Caister-based NR Marine Services and Great Yarmouth-based OEG to provide vessels to support the construction of the 1.4 GW East Anglia Three offshore wind farm in the UK.
The deals are worth more than GBP 16 million (approximately EUR 18.6 million), and all vessels will operate out of the port of Lowestoft.
NR Marine Services will provide two crew transfer vessels (CTVs), NR Rebellion and NR Hunter, with the first vessel taking to the water from April and the second ship following later in the year.
Built by Diverse Marine in the Isle of Wight, NR Rebellion is a 25-metre hybrid vessel which has a service speed of 26 knots, a range of 1,000 nautical miles, and a capacity to ferry up to 24 personnel to the construction site of the East Anglia Three offshore wind farm.
“It’s exciting to be supporting ScottishPower and East Anglia THREE right here on our home turf. This is the biggest charter we’ve ever signed up to and it’s a real show of confidence not just in NR Marine Services, but in what this region can offer the offshore wind industry as a whole,” said Owen Nutt, Director of NR Marine Services.
“Thanks to trusted partners like ScottishPower, we’re growing faster than ever before and doubled both our fleet and our headcount in the last year alone – including more local recruitment – thanks to the strength of our order book. That’s a win-win for the region and the UK and we look forward to playing our part in seeing East Anglia THREE take shape over the coming weeks and months.”
OEG will provide the support vessel Tess, which will carry out guard operations at the East Anglia Three wind farm site, located 69 kilometres off the Norfolk coast.
“We are, of course, thrilled to build upon the support we are delivering to the East Anglia THREE project, adding to the range of subsea, topside and marine services we are already delivering to the offshore windfarm’s construction phase,” said George Moore, Business Development Director for OEG.
The offshore wind farm will feature 95 Siemens Gamesa 14+ MW wind turbines, all of which are expected to be operational in 2026.
The wind farm was awarded a Contract for Difference in July 2022, and ScottishPower, owned by Spanish Iberdrola, started onshore construction work the same month.
Source: offshorewind.biz
