US Wind has signed an agreement with EPIC Applied Technologies for the installation of a meteorological mast to collect data at the site of a planned 268MW offshore wind farm off the coast of Maryland.
Installation is scheduled to start on 14 July and be completed by 8 August 2019.
The mast will be used to collect raw wind data at a height comparable to the eventual turbines, US Wind said.
Data collected will be used primarily to validate virtual analysis collected through what have primarily been mathematical models to date.
It will also be used to monitor the performance of the installed turbines during the lifetime of the eventual wind farm.
US Wind president Riccardo Toto said: “This important milestone represents US Wind’s ongoing commitment to realising this first-of-its-kind large-scale renewable energy project in the state of Maryland.
“We look forward to delivering the significant economic and job-creation benefits that our project represents and to advancing our leadership position in this fast-developing new American industry.”
The US Wind project is expected to comprise up to 32 turbines and be located 27km off the coast of Ocean City (pictured).