EnBW and JERA Nex bp, joint developers of the Mona and Morgan offshore wind farms, have committed to invest over £100m ($131.7m) in Belfast Harbour, a key hub for the offshore wind sector in the UK and Ireland.

The two companies said that their lease of Belfast Harbour’s D1 terminal will see the assembly and marshalling of wind turbine components for two of the biggest offshore wind farms planned in the Irish Sea.

Once operational, Mona and Morgan could deliver up to 3GW – enough to power the equivalent of approximately 3m UK households each year.

To accommodate the projects, enabling works are being undertaken at the harbour, ensuring the site is ready for use from 2028. Some 300 jobs are expected to be created by the deal.

“It’s full speed ahead in our mission to bring about the clean power revolution – delivering energy security, getting bills down for good and generating growth in communities across the UK,” said UK prime minister Keir Starmer.

As a Trust Port, Belfast Harbour reinvests all profits back into the port and the harbour’s estate.  This deal has enabled Belfast Harbour to invest £90m ($118.5m) in construction works at its D3 terminal for a new dual-purpose cruise and offshore wind site.

Stage 1 of the project, to build a new deepwater berth, is already under construction. Stage 2 will see the terminal further reinforced to handle the next generation of offshore wind turbines, with some core components weighing more than 1,000 tonnes.

This stage will also enable the provision of shore power facilities, so that vessels can run on clean energy while docked.