The Orsted and Eversource US offshore wind joint venture as well as Vineyard Wind have submitted bids into the US state of Connecticut’s offshore wind solicitation.
The developers have joined Mayflower Wind in submitting project proposals to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) request for proposals for up to 2GW, issued in August.
Eversource and Orsted’s Constitution Wind bid and Vineyard Wind’s Park City Wind bids each include several project proposals.
Vineyard Wind’s proposals for the Park City Wind project include a required 408MW plan and options to develop projects that will generate 800MW, 1000MW and 1200MW.
Vineyard Wind chief executive Lars Pedersen said: “Our Park City Wind proposal is much more than an energy project – it’s an opportunity for Connecticut to develop a world-class offshore wind industry in Bridgeport and solidify its role as a high value industry hub in the US for years to come.
“Vineyard Wind looks forward to working with all stakeholders involved throughout the review process and will be announcing additional details about this exciting opportunity in the weeks ahead.”
Orsted US offshore wind chief executive Thomas Brostrom said: “Since 2015, our team has been focused on bringing affordable, renewable energy to Connecticut, a major opportunity for the state’s clean energy future and economy.
“Following up on the selection of our Revolution Wind project by the state and our investment to turn New London State Pier into a world-class offshore wind centre, our proposed Constitution Wind project will be delivered by the industry’s leading experts to ensure the project is achievable, sustainable and successful for Connecticut.”
The Constitution Wind team has gathered two years of floating LIDAR wind speed data specific to its lease area and conducted over 12,000 miles of geophysical surveys in the lease area and along the export cable route.
The data collected has also been used to adapt the project design in order to mitigate stakeholder and environmental impacts.
In response to feedback from fishermen and community members, the turbine layout for the Constitution Wind project has been revised, to accommodate historical fishing patterns and make it easier for fishing boats to pass through the wind farm.
Eversource and Orsted have committed to invest $57m in upgrades to New London State Pier, in Connecticut, to establish a wind staging port.
A construction contractor will be appointed in the next few months to upgrade the facility to it can support heavy offshore wind components.
Both of Vineyard’s federally allocated lease areas are located south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, where the winds are among the strongest on the east coast.
Vineyard Wind said it has sought partnerships with a number of preeminent educational and workforce development organisations in the state.
Shell and EDP Renewables joint venture Mayflower Wind has submitted two bids, for 804MW and 408MW projects, to DEEP in response to the procurement.
Mayflower Wind president John Hartnett said: “Governor (Ned) Lamont has outlined a vision for moving Connecticut toward a clean energy future, and we believe our proposal can play a role in advancing that vision in an affordable manner.
“The state’s comprehensive energy strategy calls for deployment of cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy resources – and that is exactly what we are offering.”