US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement officials denied an Equinor request for permission to complete several offshore works on the 810MW Empire Wind 1 it said were “necessary to prevent impacts to health, safety or the environment”.
Equinor officials had asked for permission to complete tasks that were in progress at the time five US offshore wind farms received directions to stop work from the administration of Donald Trump on 22 December.
Equinor specifically sought permission in a 23 December email to BSEE to complete inter-array cable installation alongside trenching and scour placement to protect cables already on the seabed; to complete cable pull-in for the offshore substation; to place scour protection on already installed monopiles; and to install the offshore substation topside, according to documents filed in a legal challenge to the shutdown order.
Equinor also sought permission for repair and recovery of a 650-metre section of export cable that was damaged in a storm event.
In a 5 January email a BSEE official granted Equinor permission to continue only with trenching of cables already lying on the seabed floor and routine monitoring of offshore infrastructure.
The bureau, however, denied Equinor permission for any work involving scour protection, additional cable installation, or topside installation.
“As this is an evolving situation, both BOEM and BSEE will continue to work closely with you and your team to ensure compliance with the attached order and in reviewing all submitted mitigation measures,” BSEE told Equinor.
Equinor has asked a federal district court for an injunction against the implementation of Trump’s offshore wind shutdown, and a hearing is scheduled for 14 January.
It declined to comment when contacted by reNEWS.