Equinor bids to develop up to 2.5GW offshore wind for New York

Equinor announced that it responded to New York’s second offshore wind solicitation by submitting proposals to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The submission is in response to the state’s most recent solicitation requesting proposals for up to 2,500MW of offshore wind and a multi-port infrastructure investment plan.

Equinor’s bids are for two projects, “Empire Wind Phase 2” and “Beacon Wind,” which together could bring more than 3,000 new jobs for New York State, according to the company.

Equinor is already working on Empire Wind Phase 1, an 816MW offshore wind project currently under development.

The company said it plans to use the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal for construction activities and its operations and maintenance (O&M) base going forward.

The proposals include plans for manufacturing offshore wind components upstate at the Port of Coeymans and the Port of Albany. In addition, Equinor is advancing efforts to address environmental justice and support disadvantaged communities, basing many of the project’s investments in these underserved communities.

New York State has a goal of securing 70% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030, and at least 9,000MW of offshore wind capacity by 2035. The state has indicated it will notify awards for the solicitation during Q4 2020.

In September 2020, BP and Equinor announced that they have formed a strategic partnership for offshore wind in the US and that BP will be a 50% non-operating partner in the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind assets on the US East Coast. The transaction is expected to close in early 2021.

Source: powerengineeringint.com

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