(offshoreWIND.biz) With projects in pre-construction, under construction and undergoing permitting, the US offshore wind industry is getting busier by the day. Over the past week, updates on project milestones, contracts and permitting made the news on offshoreWIND.biz. Catch up with these stories in our recap 👇
Sif Produces First Empire Wind 1 Monopile in Netherlands
The first of 54 monopiles for Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm in the US has been manufactured at Sif’s Maasvlakte 2 site in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
On 28 November, the first monopile for Empire Wind was completed on the new production line of the expanded production facilities at Maasvlakte 2 Rotterdam.
In February 2023, Sif took the final investment decision (FID) to invest EUR 328 million in the expansion of its production facilities at Maasvlakte 2 Rotterdam.
Empire Offshore Wind committed EUR 50 million in advanced factory payments to finance the project and became a launching client for the investment programme.
In August 2024, the Dutch company announced that the first of three production lines of the expanded facilities was in operation.
US Issues Record of Decision for 7 GW Offshore Wind Area
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the New York Bight offshore wind area. The ROD specifies environmental measures expected to be applied to the development of projects in the six lease areas that BOEM awarded in 2022.
Set to be published in the Federal Register on 6 December, the ROD identifies 58 previously applied avoidance, minimisation, mitigation, and monitoring (AMMM) measures BOEM plans to use across the New York Bight lease areas.
The auction for the New York Bight acreage was held in February 2022 and brought in over USD 4.3 billion in winning bids for the rights to develop offshore wind farms – a record amount for any US offshore renewable or conventional energy lease sale.
The winning bids were placed by Bight Wind Holdings (RWE Renewables and National Grid), Attentive Energy (TotalEnergies and Corio Generation), Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Bight (Shell and EDF Renewables), Invenergy Wind Offshore, OW Ocean Winds, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
JDR Wins Inter-Array Cable Work on Largest US Offshore Wind Farm
DEME Offshore has contracted JDR Cable Systems, part of the TFKable Group, for cable installation and commissioning work on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.
The 2.6 GW CVOW, developed by Dominion Energy, is the largest offshore wind farm under construction in the United States.
Under the contract, JDR will carry out pull-in, termination, testing, and commissioning of all the 66 kV subsea inter-array cables for the offshore wind farm which will comprise 176 wind turbines and three offshore substations.
The inter-array cables for the 2.6 GW project are being supplied by Prysmian and Hellenic Cables.
Maryland Offshore Wind Project in US Gets Construction Plan Approval
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has approved the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the up to 2 GW Maryland offshore wind farm.
The approval represents the agency’s completion of the final permit in US Wind’s federal permitting application.
“After more than four years of rigorous and robust analysis, we are thrilled to have secured this final BOEM approval. US Wind’s projects will produce massive amounts of homegrown energy and will help satisfy the region’s critical need for more electricity, all while supporting good local jobs,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO.
The approved offshore wind project includes multiple-phase construction and operation of up to 114 turbines, up to four offshore substation platforms, one meteorological tower, and up to four offshore export cable corridors.
First CVOW Offshore Substation Jacket En Route to US
The first of three offshore substation jacket foundations has departed from the Danish Port of Esbjerg and is en route to the US, where it will be installed at the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.
In 2021, a consortium comprising Semco Maritime and CS Wind Offshore (previously Bladt Industries) was awarded a contract for the supply of three 880 MW substations for the offshore wind project, developed by Dominion Energy.
CS Wind Offshore is responsible for the design, procurement, and manufacturing of the steel structures and jacket foundations for the substations, while the design, procurement, and installation of electrical equipment, energy systems, and inter-array cables will be managed by Semco Maritime.
The first of three offshore substation jacket foundations, weighing approximately 2,445 tonnes and standing 60 metres tall, has been transferred to a transportation vessel and is on its way across the Atlantic.
Brazil Energy Insight 
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