Two Norfolk-based marine companies are set to play a major role in the construction of the East of England’s newest offshore windfarm – and reap the benefits of multi-million pound agreements – thanks to ScottishPower Renewables.
The green energy company – part of the Iberdrola Group – has signed charter agreements worth more than £16 million in total with Caister-based NR Marine Services and Great Yarmouth-based OEG for the provision of vessels to support the construction of its East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm, which will come into operation next year.
The 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 Typhoon Class Rebellion taking to the water from April, and the Storm Class Hunter following later in the year.
Built by Diverse Marine in the Isle of Wight, NR Rebellion is a 25m hybrid vessel and will be one of the cleanest CTVs in the industry thanks to reduced emissions and daily fuel consumption. With a service speed of 26 knots, range of 1,000 nautical miles and capacity to ferry up to 24 personnel to the construction site for the 1.4GW windfarm, it will be the first vessel of its type employed within the Iberdrola Group.
OEG will provide support vessel Tess, which will carry out guard operations at the windfarm site. Thanks to its design and capabilities, the Tess can stay out at sea for longer periods, making it the perfect choice for East Anglia THREE.
Ross Ovens, ScottishPower Renewables’ Managing Director for Offshore, gave the vessel agreements and the two local companies a warm welcome to the East Anglia THREE project. He said: “It’s fantastic to have NR Marine Services and OEG on board – supporting the construction of East Anglia THREE right on their doorstep, bringing more investment and opportunity to the region and contributing to a cleaner and greener future for us all. It’s also terrific to be using vessels that were built here in the UK to support the country’s clean power ambitions.
“These charter agreements are testament to how the East of England can service the offshore wind industry – not just here in the UK, but right across the globe. We’re proud to have played our part in both the region’s continued growth and the success of these supply chain partners who worked on our first windfarm here. Together we’re creating a legacy that will reap benefits for decades to come and we’re really excited to be part of that.”
Owen Nutt, Director NR Marine Services, said: “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.
“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.”
George Moore, Business Development Director for OEG said: “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.
“Having supported ScottishPower Renewables for a number of years now, OEG has been able to establish firm roots in the region, and this contract further strengthens our commitment to the East of England.
“It is a source of great pride here at OEG that our collaboration with ScottishPower Renewables continues to flourish as our shared commitment to developing a truly robust local supply chain endures. We now look forward to delivering a safe and efficient project.”
East Anglia THREE will be ScottishPower Renewables’ biggest ever offshore windfarm – and the second largest in the world – when it comes into operation in 2026, producing 1.4GW of homegrown clean energy. That’s enough to power the equivalent of more than 1.3 million homes.
Contact Information
Denise Robertson
Senior Corporate Affairs Manager
ScottishPower
07585 961708
[email protected]
Notes to editors
NR Rebellion
NR Rebellion has an LOA of 25 metres and will be fitted with a quad IPS system to give it a top speed of over 30 knots. A transom-mounted hull vane will offer efficient fuel consumption at cruising speeds.
Power will be provided by four Volvo Penta D13 engines, each producing 515 kW at 2,300 rpm, for a service speed of 26 knots and range of 1,000 nautical miles.
The crewboat’s hybrid system, powered by a 112.5kWh battery bank within a dedicated air conditioning and fire protected space, gives the vessel “Zero Emission PM” class notation. The crewboat can also transport cargo totalling 20 tonnes on a deck with an area of 75 square metres. With a crew of three, NR Rebellion will ferry up to 24 personnel to offshore wind farms.
NR Hunter
The Storm Class measures 27.6m LOA by 10m BOA and is fitted with a quad IMO Tier-3 Volvo Penta IPS propulsion system. Its unique hull form features a very fine entry with higher buoyancy reserves above the main chines and resistance reducing solutions integrated into the underbody. A resilient superstructure ensures very low noise and vibration levels in the passenger saloon with the first recording sub 55dBA at full power.
Tess
The Tess is a highly-manoeuvrable, electric-driven Multi-Purpose Support Vessel from the Van Laar Maritime fleet, designed for maximum versatility in both offshore and nearshore operations. Thanks to a smart design and modern propulsion technology, the Tess is equipped to significantly reduce fuel consumption without compromising on power or reliability. The Tess was built in 2014 in accordance with NOx and SOx emissions regulations. To help address climate change, care for the environment and minimise exhaust emissions, the replacement of injectors, fuel pumps, fuel filters, turbochargers and main engine components is carried out more often than required. In 2024, these components were subject to comprehensive replacement, twice, in all engines on the vessel.
About ScottishPower Renewables
ScottishPower is part of Iberdrola, a global energy leader and the number-one producer of wind power, with more than 39GW of renewable projects operating across the world and a pipeline of 100GW of renewable projects.
Responsible for progressing Iberdrola’s renewable energy projects in the UK, ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) manages the development, construction and operation of offshore windfarms throughout the world and onshore renewables in the UK and Ireland. SPR currently has over 40 operational windfarm sites generating more than 3GW of renewable energy – that’s enough green electricity to power around two million homes.
Through ScottishPower, Iberdrola is investing £24 billion in the UK between 2024 and 2028 – that’s £18 million every working day.
This includes bringing the £2.5 billion East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm, currently under construction, into operation in 2026 and delivering the £4 billion East Anglia TWO windfarm in 2028. Together these will provide enough homegrown clean energy to power the equivalent of more than 2.3 million homes. The company also continues investing in new onshore wind, solar PV and battery projects.
