RWE commits investment on Vanguard
Vestas has received a firm order for RWE’s 1,380 MW Vanguard West offshore wind project. This new order follows the strong outcomes of AR7, which has reinforced confidence in the UK’s offshore wind pipeline and helped accelerate progress on projects of this scale.
The order includes 92 Vestas V236-15.0 MW wind turbines, with Vestas responsible for the supply, delivery, and commissioning of the turbines. Upon completion, the manufacturer will also service the assets under a five-year comprehensive service agreement followed by a long-term operational support agreement.
Image: RWE
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO RWE Offshore Wind, says:
“Following RWE’s success in Allocation Round 7, this partnership marks a further important step towards delivering the Vanguard West project. Given RWE’s significant offshore experience, we are delighted to be partnering with Vestas, who have extensive expertise in turbine manufacture and delivery.”
Sven Utermöhlen
Nils de Baar, President of Vestas Northern & Central Europe and Global Offshore, says:
“The momentum behind offshore wind in Europe is building with the UK Government stepping up its commitment in AR7 and projects like Vanguard West moving forward. This combination of industry partnership and government commitment sends a powerful signal about the UK’s determination to drive forward its renewable energy ambitions.
We are delighted to collaborate with our partner, RWE, on Vanguard West.
The project strengthens the UK’s long‑term energy security goals and helps the consumer with lower energy prices.”
Nils de Baar
The project site is located around 47 km off the coast of Norfolk in East Anglia. RWE is currently targeting a Final Investment Decision (FID) for Vanguard West in summer of 2026 with commissioning of the project expected in 2029.
Vestas will be an anchor partner for NCC – Innovating for Industry’s new innovation centre for composites that will be located at its West Medina Mills facility on the Isle of Wight.
West Medina Mills
NCC is UK’s research and technology hub for composite materials and the new Large Structures Innovation Centre (LSIC) will be an open-access facility to support the development, demonstration and industrialisation of composite structures across multiple sectors - starting with wind turbine blades.
The new centre will complement existing manufacturing and R&D activities on the Isle of Wight and help drive the innovation in advanced turbine technologies.
Vestas has a long history of innovation and manufacturing on the Isle of Wight. For more than two decades, the company has have produced over 13,500 wind turbine blades and established significant R&D expertise in blade innovation and design on the island.