United States – Empire Offshore Wind, a partnership between Equinor and bp, has chosen Vestas as its preferred supplier for wind turbine generators for both Empire Wind I and Empire Wind II, two of the largest offshore wind projects in the United States.
The preferred supplier deal, one of the largest of its kind to be announced in the United States, is a significant milestone for Empire Wind and an important step toward the company’s aim of providing large-scale offshore wind energy to the state of New York.
Vestas will supply 138 V236-15MW wind turbine generators with a total generating capacity of about 2GW for the two Empire Wind installations. Each revolution of a 15MW turbine will be enough to power a New York home for around 1.5 days.
Empire Wind and Vestas are generating additional options for local jobs and economic activity in New York state as part of Equinor and bp’s commitment to create local capabilities in the offshore wind supply chain.
Empire Wind’s planned tower manufacturing site in upstate New York continues to help the development of the wider offshore wind supply chain. Vestas will supply the tower components for Empire Wind, which will be manufactured at Marmen and Welcon’s new plant in Port of Albany. The tower manufacturing plant is planned to open by the end of 2023, with up to 350 direct local jobs created. Towers will be hauled down the Hudson River to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT). The turbine components will be staged at SBMT before being transported offshore to the Empire Wind lease area for installation, creating several hundred renewables jobs in New York.
The contract awards for turbine supply, service, and warranty are contingent on final agreement on contract terms and the signing of the Empire Wind II buy and sales agreement between Empire Offshore Wind and NYSERDA.
