Iberdrola has presented a proposal to develop offshore wind power projects in waters of the State of New York (United States) for some 1,300 megawatts (MW), in a clear commitment by the group to be the leader in this technology in the country.
In a conference with analysts to present the results for the first nine months of the year, Iberdrola Chairman Ignacio Sánchez Galán announced that the company had submitted its offer to the auction this week.
Specifically, through the ‘Liberty Wind’ project – led by its Vineyard Wind subsidiary – Avangrid has submitted several offers for the development of those more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of offshore (marine) wind to the authorities of New York. The winning bids are expected to be selected in the coming months, as confirmed by the CEO of Iberdrola’s US subsidiary, Dennis Arriola.
Specifically, the proposal presented by the company to develop ‘Liberty Wind’ offers six options for the development of this large facility.
One of them, as it has been proposed, would represent the greatest commitment of direct economic benefit that has ever been considered in the US offshore wind sector. In this way, ‘Liberty Wind’ would contribute to reinforcing New York’s leadership in generating green jobs and equal opportunities.
In addition, these 1,300 MW would supply clean energy to around 700,000 homes and businesses in New York, the company reported.
“We are pleased to bring ‘Liberty Wind’ closer to New York legislators and look forward to building on broad community participation, the hallmark of our US offshore wind business,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Lars T. Petersen.
Last July, the New York State Power Development Authority (Nyserda) launched the second offshore wind request for the state seeking proposals of up to 2.5 GW of capacity.
Specifically, the offers range from 400 MW projects to 2,500 MW and the awards and contracts are expected to be executed in the last quarter of the year.
Together with Iberdrola, they have also confirmed that a joint venture between Orsted and Eversource and Equinor, with two projects, has submitted offers for the tender.
New York has set a target of 9 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035, which is the most ambitious goal ever set by a state in the country.
Last year, Iberdrola, through its investee company Vineyard Wind, already submitted to the first auction for offshore wind in New York with a project of up to 1,200 MW, although it was not finally awarded.
‘Liberty Wind’, attended the auction by the transmission developer Anbaric Development Partners, with options for a 400 MW project, another 800 MW and another 1,200 MW.
In the first tender, New York State selected the 880 MW ‘Sunrise Wind 1’ projects developed by Orsted Eversource, and the 816 MW ‘Empire Wind’, from Equinor.
COMMITTING TO THE MARINE WIND.
Iberdrola has in the United States a potential pipeline of 4.9 gigawatts GW in offshore wind, in a clear commitment to the development of offshore technology in the country.
These include ‘Park City Wind’, of 804 MW and which will take place on the coast of the state of Connecticut, and ‘Vineyard Wind’ in Massachusets waters and of 800 MW, is a key piece in Iberdrola’s commitment to the United States United. In addition, the group is also carrying out the ‘Kitty Hawk’ project, in waters off North Carolina and Virginia, which has a potential 1,486 MW of offshore wind capacity.
Iberdrola’s worldwide portfolio of projects has the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the United States, as well as Japan as the group’s main development axes.
Currently, the group already has three offshore wind farms in operation: West of Duddon Sands, launched in 2014 in the Irish Sea; Wikinger, in operation since December 2017 in German waters of the Baltic Sea and East Anglia One, in waters of the United Kingdom, of which 102 wind turbines have been installed and which is already producing electricity. With 714 MW of capacity and an investment of 2.4 billion pounds, it will be able to serve the electricity supply of 630,000 English homes.
These new wind farms will be joined by Saint-Brieuc, in French waters, which is expected to start operating in 2023. It will have a capacity of 496 MW and will be located off the coast of French Brittany, 20 kilometers offshore.
Likewise, the company was established in Germany, in April 2018, with two new wind farm facilities in the Baltic with a total capacity of 486 MW: Baltic Eagle and Wikinger Süd.
