Two marine companies based in Norfolk have secured multi-million pound vessel charter agreements with ScottishPower Renewables, playing a key role in the development of the East Anglia THREE offshore windfarm.

NR Marine Services, based in Caister, and OEG, located in Great Yarmouth, will provide vessels worth over £16 million in total to support the construction of the 1.4GW windfarm, which is scheduled to become operational next year. The vessels will operate from the port of Lowestoft.

NR Marine Services will supply two crew transfer vessels (CTVs): the NR Rebellion and the NR Hunter. The NR Rebellion, a 25-metre hybrid Typhoon Class vessel built by Diverse Marine, is expected to be one of the cleanest CTVs in the industry, offering reduced emissions and fuel consumption. With a service speed of 26 knots and a 1,000 nautical mile range, it can transport up to 24 personnel to the construction site. The Storm Class NR Hunter will follow later in the year. The NR Rebellion marks the first vessel of its type to be used within the Iberdrola Group.

OEG will provide the support vessel Tess, which will undertake guard operations at the windfarm site. Its design allows for extended periods at sea, making it well-suited for the East Anglia THREE project.

Ross Ovens, ScottishPower Renewables' Managing Director for Offshore, welcomed the agreements and the involvement of the local companies: "It's fantastic to have NR Marine Services and OEG on board and 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 both here in the UK and right across the globe and we're proud to have played our part in both the region's continued growth and the success of these supply chain partners who both 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 of 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, commented: "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 is set to be ScottishPower Renewables' largest offshore windfarm and the second largest globally when it becomes operational in 2026, generating 1.4GW of clean energy – enough to power over 1.3 million homes.