RWE and KKR announce £12bn funding for Norfolk's Vanguard offshore wind farms

RWE and investment firm KKR have announced £12bn of funding to build the Vanguard West and Vanguard East offshore wind farms off the Norfolk coast.

The projects are expected to be fully commissioned in 2030, with offshore construction scheduled to start in early 2027.

The package includes £1bn from the state-owned National Wealth Fund. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the fund was "working alongside private capital to build homegrown energy and bring a return for the taxpayer".

Capacity and location

RWE said the two sites lie between 50 and 80 km (31 to 49 miles) off the coast. It described them as one of the UK's largest offshore wind developments, with capacity of around 2.8GW, enough to supply three million homes.

The German utility acquired the Vanguard sites in 2023, along with a third Norfolk site, Norfolk Boreas. Work on that development had been paused by its previous owner, Vattenfall.

RWE said preparatory work was already well advanced for both projects, including onshore cable installation and construction of the substations.

Jobs and political backing

The government said the investment would support more than 2,400 jobs across construction and operation.

Burnham called the deal "a vote of confidence for building in Britain". He said every turbine installed meant power under British control, "not at the mercy of events on the other side of the world", and that host communities would benefit from the jobs and opportunities created.

He is due to deliver a speech on Thursday at the Cop31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey.

RWE chief executive Markus Krebber said the company was working with KKR to deliver two of the UK's largest offshore wind projects, strengthening domestic generation and contributing to long-term energy security.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said Britain was "leading from the front as a renewable energy powerhouse" as world leaders gather for the summit.