Vineyard Wind has chosen electrical engineering outfit Linxon to build the substation for its 800MW offshore wind project, off the coast of Massachusetts.
Linxon, the Hitachi ABB Power Grids and SNC-Lavalin joint venture, will provide a turnkey 220/115kV substation that will connect the electricity generated by Vineyard Wind 1 to the grid operated by Independent System Operator (ISO) New England.
Linxon will commence construction of the substation in 2021 and it will be fully commissioned by 2023.
The agreement between Vineyard and Linxon, which is contingent upon the project reaching financial close, will create jobs in Massachusetts under a project labour agreement (PLA).
Vineyard Wind chief executive Lars Pedersen said: “We’re proud to reach this agreement, both for the progress it signifies on our first project and also for the jobs it will create locally once we reach financial close.
“Thanks to critically important input from the community, the design plans make every effort for the substation to blend in with its surroundings and use the highest environmental protection standards.
“Once the project is operational, this asset will provide a necessary connection point for clean, renewable energy to the Massachusetts grid.”
Linxon CEO Frederic Trefois (pictured) said: “We are very pleased to support this landmark offshore wind energy project in the United States.
“It underscores the confidence our customers have in Linxon’s ability to support them from the front-end engineering and design until the full project delivery offering optimised solutions, minimising time and costs, as well as a reliable integration into the transmission grids, based on state-of-the-art products and comprehensive project experience.”