ScottishPower Renewables has started fabrication in north-east England on the offshore substation foundation for East Anglia TWO, its £4 billion windfarm off the Suffolk coast. The first steel has now been cut at Smulders’ yard on the River Tyne, where the company has placed a contract worth more than £60 million for the 3,450mt jacket foundation.
Once complete, the four-legged lattice structure will stand around 58 metres tall — close to three times the height of the Angel of the North — and will support a 5,100mt offshore high-voltage substation. That substation will collect and export power from East Anglia TWO’s 64 turbines to the UK grid. ScottishPower said the 960MW project will be capable of supplying the equivalent of almost one million homes.
Minister for Energy Michael Shanks visited the Smulders site as works began. He said: “It’s great to see manufacturing getting underway here in Newcastle on a project that demonstrates how clean energy is supporting skilled jobs and industrial communities in the north-east of England. Building this right here in the UK highlights the strength of our offshore wind supply chain as we deliver the infrastructure needed for a more secure home-grown energy system.”
Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables CEO, said: “It’s a proud moment to see work underway on our East Anglia TWO jacket foundation just up the coast from where the windfarm will be operating in a couple of years’ time. This investment is a real confidence boost for UK manufacturing and showcases the fantastic facilities and resources we have on our doorstep.”
The Newcastle yard also adds wider industrial context to the project. Smulders’ Wallsend site is a former colliery and now specialises in steel foundations and final assembly for offshore wind turbines and substations. Since 2023, Smulders has invested more than £80 million in its UK site to expand offshore wind capacity, with around 400 people working there at any one time, including 28 apprentices.
Hans Leerdam, Commercial Director at Smulders HSM, said: “This moment represents a significant step forward in bringing East Anglia TWO into reality. With the topside now under construction at our Stormpolder yard and the jacket works officially launched in Newcastle, we demonstrate the combined strength of Smulders, delivering safely and efficiently while adding UK local content to the project.”
East Anglia TWO will be located in the southern North Sea, around 33km from the Suffolk coast at its nearest point off Southwold and 37km from Lowestoft. The jacket foundation is expected to be ready for installation in Q3 2027, with the windfarm due to be operational by the end of 2028.
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