Offshore wind innovation in the U.S.
Vineyard Wind 1 project opens the door to offshore wind revolution in the US
The first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States, Vineyard Wind 1, will not only supply clean energy to more than 400,000 homes and businesses. It is also helping to revive production off the coast of Massachusetts and is bringing the winds of change to offshore technology innovation.
The Vineyard Wind project has the potential to change thinking about the possibilities of offshore wind and drive innovation in offshore wind.
We are boosting offshore wind in the US
The Vineyard Wind 1 project - scheduled for commissioning in 2023 - will transform Somerset, Massachusetts, a traditionally coal-dependent industrial town. "People became more environmentally conscious and it was very clear to me that something had to change," says Patricia Haddad, a state representative from Massachusetts.
With a former coal-fired power station, the town had the infrastructure for 1,600 MW of power. And taking advantage of the usual wind in the area, Haddad decided to change Somerset's energy generation and go for a completely new technology in the region: offshore wind.
Aggressive federal targets are paving the way for large-scale offshore wind construction. "The goal of being net-zero by 2050 is dramatically driving this market," maintains Alberto Boffei, chief operating officer of Prysmian Group.
In addition, the project will supply more than 400,000 homes with clean energy and save taxpayers around $1.4 billion. "From climate to jobs to savings, it's a triple win," says Bill White, president and CEO of renewables at Avangrid (Iberdrola's US subsidiary), who sees Vineyard Wind 1 as a unique opportunity.
But it is not just a profound transformation of the area. The Vineyard Wind 1 project, with an investment of almost $3 billion, is changing the thinking about what is possible in offshore wind.
There is a tendency to think that everything has been invented in this technology, but for Dr James Manwell, director of the University of Massachusetts Wind Energy Center, this is only the beginning: "We need more research to develop the turbines of the future.
In this sense, the technological innovation driven by the Vineyard Wind 1 project could represent an important evolution for the technology. "Offshore wind energy has a lot of potential in the US and is going to be one of the main energy resources in the future," says Manwell. Vineyard Wind 1 is just the beginning.
Offshore wind, Iberdrola's growth vector in the US
The United States has become the spearhead of Iberdrola's offshore wind business. In fact, it is Iberdrola's main investment destination in the coming years, with more than 7.5 billion dollars planned for the 2023-2025 period.
Through its subsidiary Avangrid Renewables, it develops wind and photovoltaic power projects and is a pioneer in the development of offshore wind power in the USA. In addition to Vineyard Wind 1, Avangrid Renewables is a partner in Park City Wind, an 804 MW project in the State of Connecticut, and is analysing projects in areas off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island for the development of up to 3,500 MW. In the mid-Atlantic, Avangrid Renewables is also developing Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind, with an installed capacity of 2,500 MW to produce clean energy in Virginia and North Carolina.
Source: WSJ Custom