Equinor has deployed a floating lidar buoy in the New York Bight to gather data to help with the development of the company’s offshore wind lease area.
The device will measure wind speed and direction, wave conditions and several other marine characteristics that will help inform decisions on the resource potential and eventual project development.
The company said the device will be deployed for two years.
Equinor Wind US won the 32,370-hectare federal lease south of New York and east of New Jersey in an auction in 2016.
The company said it plans to develop two projects called Empire Wind and Boardwalk Wind in the area.
Equinor Wind US president Christer af Geijerstam said: “The deployment of this specialised buoy marks another step forward in the multi-year process of bringing a reliable source of renewable energy to the New York/New Jersey area.
“Offshore wind power today is made possible by a host of innovative technologies, from larger and more efficient turbines to sophisticated lidar systems like this that enable us to gauge invaluable information about the characteristics of this offshore lease area.”
He added that the lidar itself is an example of renewable energy innovation.
“The floating system, using solar panels, wind turbines and large batteries in its hull, can operate autonomously throughout a full winter season offshore New York.
“Access to good quality wind recordings like those provided by the flidar system is essential to the development of any wind energy project today.
“It’s yet another example of the technological innovation that Equinor is bringing to offshore wind development in New York.”