Empire Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Equinor and bp, has appointed Vestas as its preferred wind turbine supplier for Empire Wind I and Empire Wind II, the 2.1 GW offshore wind project in New York. Vestas will deliver 138 V236-15MW wind turbine generators for the two Empire Wind projects. The turbine supply, service, and warranty contracts are contingent on Empire Offshore Wind LLC and NYSERDA reaching an agreement on contract terms and signing the Empire Wind II purchase and sales agreement.
Vestas will supply the tower components for Empire Wind, which will be manufactured at Marmen/Welcon’s new plant in Port of Albany. The tower manufacturing plant should be up and running by the end of 2023. The towers will be delivered to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal through the Hudson River (SBMT). The turbine components will be staged at SBMT before being transported offshore to the Empire Wind lease area for installation.
Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor and bp through their 50/50 strategic partnership in the US. Located 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island and spanning 80,000 acres, the project has water depths of between 65 and 131 feet. The lease was acquired in 2017. It is being developed in two phases with a total installed capacity of more than 2 GW.
REGlobal’s Views: New York has become an important investment destination for offshore wind project developers with its rich potential, ambitious targets and enabling policies. As the gestation period for offshore wind projects is long and investments are massive, such projects will generate significant work opportunities for local people.
