RWE has awarded two key contracts to Lamprell for the future supply of transition pieces for its two east coast UK offshore wind projects under development totalling 2800MW.
The schemes are Norfolk Vanguard West and Norfolk Vanguard East and the award underlines RWE’s continued commitment to progressing the development of both sites.
The scope of works within the contract requires the manufacture and supply of two lots of 92 transition pieces for both wind farms, and the transportation of the structures to RWE’s official marshalling port, once this has been decided.
RWE and Lamprell marked the signing of the contract with a small event at the WindEnergy Hamburg 2024 conference (picture is of RWE and Lamprell teams at the signing).
Lamprell will fabricate the transition pieces using its serial production line, commissioned in 2023.
The facility successfully completed its first project in 2024, delivering over 60 similar structures for a Scottish wind farm.
Vanguard West and Vanguard East are part of a trio of offshore arrays along with Norfolk Boreas, making up the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone off the UK east coast.
RWE acquired the three projects in March 2024 and has since continued to develop them at pace as part of its commitment to growing green in the UK.
RWE Offshore Wind chief financial officer Holger Himmel said: “We are pleased to have secured this key contract for Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone with Lamprell as our preferred supplier for the transition pieces.
“We are looking forward to a fruitful and productive relationship with Lamprell and we continue to work closely with our delivery partners to progress the development of these important projects towards offshore construction and operation.”
Lamprell chief executive Ian Prescott said: “We are honoured to be partnering with RWE on the Norfolk Vanguard projects.
“This contract award highlights Lamprell’s commitment to delivering high-quality wind turbine foundation structures that support the global transition towards renewable energy.
“We are grateful to RWE for their trust and look forward to a long and successful partnership as we work together to contribute to the UK’s renewable energy ambitions.”
Each of RWE’s three Norfolk projects has a planned capacity of 1.4GW.
They would be constructed approximately 47km to 80km off the coast of Norfolk in East Anglia.
The projects already have seabed rights, grid connections, Development Consent Orders and all other key permits.
Onshore construction of the substations and undergrounded cable route between Necton and Happisburgh has already begun.
As an important next step in the development of the projects, RWE will enter the Norfolk Vanguard projects into a future Contracts for Difference auction.