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Milestone for world’s second biggest offshore windfarm

The first of four electricity transformers that will convert the energy from the world’s second biggest offshore windfarm has been delivered to site.

The 323 tonnes/463MVA transformer – which is 9.6m long, 4.1m wide and 4.3m tall – is now in place at Scottish Power Renewables’ onshore converter station site for the East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm at Bramford.

Manufactured by Siemens Energy in Germany, the transformer sailed from the port of Bremen before arriving in the UK.

East Anglia THREE grid execution manager Niall Armstrong said: “The delivery of the first transformer to Bramford is an important milestone not just for our onshore works to build the infrastructure needed to ensure the clean energy from our windfarm can get from power to plug, but for the East Anglia THREE project as whole.

“It was a real team effort to get this huge piece of kit safely on site and my thanks to everyone involved – Siemens Energy, Keltbray Construction, ABP, Allelys, National Highways, the local roads authorities, and the police.”

He added: “While we always do what we can to keep any disruption to a minimum, I want to especially thank local people and businesses who may have been affected by the necessary traffic management required and thank them in advance for their patience and understanding while we bring the remaining transformers to site over the next few weeks.

“You are helping us deliver a cleaner and greener future for us all.”

East Anglia THREE is the second of Scottish Power’s East Anglia offshore windfarm projects to be developed and part of the East Anglia Hub. Consent for the project was received in August 2017 and construction commenced in July 2022.

The project itself comprises an offshore windfarm approximately 69km from the Suffolk coast and an onshore cable route to transport energy to a convertor station in Bramford.

When complete the windfarm will cover an area of approximately 305km2 and will have 100 offshore wind turbines measuring 262m tall.