The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has determined that BP’s proposal to test suction bucket foundations for its Beacon Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts will not cause significant impacts to environmental recourses.
Beacon Wind had proposed to conduct 35 deployments and removals of a one suction bucket foundation at 26 different location within its lease area, aimed at gathering information on a possible foundation design.
Suction bucket foundations are an alternative foundation type that allow for installation of turbines without the need for pile driving. The technology could minimize underwater noise from installation and allow for more flexibility around supply chain constraints, BOEM said.
The two Beacon Wind projects would together generate some 2430MW, and are located 17 nautical miles south of Massachusetts and 52 nautical miles east of the eastern tip of New York’s Long Island.