Associated British Ports’ new Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF) will fully open this autumn, the port owner and operator has confirmed.
ABP Head of Offshore Wind Andy Reay (pictured) said the redevelopment project at the UK’s most eastern port would deliver “some functionality” from September before reaching full operations a month later.
He told SNS2024 in Norwich today (23 May) LEEF will be suitable to support both operations and maintenance (O&M) activities and construction support for the offshore wind sector.
Three new 7.5 metre-deep berths and 345 metres of berthing space have been built to host “the next generation” of service operation vessels following an intensive construction schedule last winter.
The works, which represented a £35m investment by ABP with support from the Town’s Fund, included the dredging of 170,000 cubic metres of material from the outer harbour.
Reay said LEEF was “strategically placed” to meet a “wave of demand” that will be created from a wide range of projects off East Anglia in construction and planning.
The port is already widely utilised by the sector and is home to existing O&M facilities for ScottishPower Renewables’ 714MW East Anglia 1 array and SSE, RWE’s 504MW Greater Gabard wind farm.
ABP anticipates wider opportunities will also be available for LEEF to provide marine support for the construction of the new Sizewell C nuclear power station and to serve long-established oil and gas fields.
Reay added: “Ports are critical to delivering offshore wind in the UK. With turbines and vessels getting larger, we need the next round of investment in port facilities.
“We recognised there would be a wave of demand when LEEF was initiated three to four years ago to repurpose ABP’s existing facilities.”