Associated British Ports (ABP) has officially finalised a commercial agreement with RWE and Clarksons Port Services, designating the Port of Lowestoft as the construction support base for the Vanguard West and East offshore wind farms in the Southern North Sea.
The Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF) will serve as the central operational hub for the construction program. Officially opened in January 2025 following a £35 million infrastructure investment, the facility features deep water berths, 350 meters of upgraded quayside, and up to eight acres of operational space.
To directly support the requirements of the RWE contract, ABP is actively commissioning a new 2,000 square meter warehouse at the facility. The port is also preparing the Outer Harbour with additional pontoons to accommodate a rising volume of crew transfer vessel activity.
Under the terms of the agreement, Clarksons Port Services will lease and manage the facility on behalf of RWE. To keep the Vanguard construction program moving efficiently over the next several years, RWE has secured dedicated capacity at Lowestoft for up to three Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) and three
Securing this contract firmly consolidates the Port of Lowestoft’s position as a primary base for Southern North Sea offshore energy operations. Once fully completed, the Norfolk Vanguard West and East projects will add a combined 3.1 GW of generating capacity to the grid—enough to power approximately three million UK homes. The long term development is expected to drive significant regional employment and bolster local supply chains.