Equinor has submitted a bid for its Empire Wind project into the New York fourth offshore wind solicitation (NY4), joining a range of big developers announcing their intent.
Equinor joins Danish wind energy giant Ørsted and a joint venture between Germany’s RWE and the UK’s National Grid Ventures in submitting proposals to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
NYSERDA is expected to announce the winning bids from NY4 in February.
In a statement, Equinor said its 810MW Empire Wind 1 project is ready to deliver reliable renewable power to more than half a million New York homes.
If successful, Equinor said it expects to provide first power from Empire Wind in 2026.
The Norwegian firm said Empire Wind will “anchor the East Coast offshore wind industry in New York City through the transformation of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) into a world-class hub for offshore wind”.
© Supplied by Empire WindThe NY4 announcement comes after Equinor yesterday completed a swap deal with BP to dissolve their 50:50 joint venture projects in the US.
Under the deal, Equinor took full ownership of Empire Wind while BP took over the Beacon Wind project.
The deal comes just weeks after the two firms cancelled their agreement with NY authorities for the second phase of Empire Wind.
The two companies also swapped ownership of associated onshore assets in New York City, with Equinor receiving the SBMT lease while BP will take over the Astoria Gateway for Renewable Energy.
Empire Wind is ‘shovel ready’
Announcing its bid, Equinor Renewables Americas president Molly Morris said: “Empire Wind 1 is ready and so is Equinor.
“New York has demonstrated its commitment to offshore wind and this project will play a foundational role in driving that commitment forward. Empire Wind 1 puts New York City at the heart of this new industry and the economic and environmental benefits will extend throughout the state.
© Supplied by Equinor“We continue to engage closely with our key stakeholders – including community partners, union labour, and environmental organizations – and are grateful for the support the project is receiving.”
Meanwhile, RWE and National Grid Ventures also announced their 1.3GW Community Offshore Wind joint venture will also bid into NY4.
In a statement, the companies said combined with other provisionally awarded phases, the Community Offshore Wind projects is expected to generate $4.4 billion in economic benefits to New York.
President and project director of Community Offshore Wind Doug Perkins said the project is “committed to providing the renewable energy New Yorkers need and driving long-term, equitable economic growth”.
© Supplied by OrstedDanish wind developer Ørsted will also submit an NY4 bid for its 924MW Sunrise Wind project after the company yesterday took over full ownership from its joint venture partner.
US offshore wind momentum picks up
While BP has not yet indicated its intent to submit a bid for the Beacon Wind project, Reuters reports BP and a number of firms including Shell, EDF and Iberdrola could also submit proposals for NY4.
The confirmed bids could indicate a positive upswing in momentum for offshore wind in the US, after project cancellations and other setbacks looked set to derail the sector’s momentum towards its 2030 targets.
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