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US aims to get offshore wind in the water by 2017
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has pledged a total of $141mn for the development of three projects to test innovative offshore wind power technologies in its waters. The three demonstration projects were selected from a total of seven projects that reached the first planning round of the DOE offshore wind programme in 2012.
The demonstration projects are planned to help speed up the deployment of innovative and more efficient offshore wind turbine technologies, for use in varied environments around the US coastline. The funds will go towards follow-on design, fabrication and deployment of the turbine and foundation technologies.
The three projects are to be located off the coast of New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia.
In New Jersey, five 5 MW direct drive wind turbines are to be installed 5 km off the coast of Atlantic City. This project, from Fishermen’s Energy, plans to use a US-developed ‘twisted’ jacket foundation, that the developers say is simpler and less expensive than traditional foundations.
In Oregon, five 6 MW direct drive turbines are planned 30 km off the coast of Coos Bay. The turbines are planned to use floating foundations in the form of the US-developed WindFloat semi-submersible floating foundation, an example of which can currently be found off the coast of Portugal. The turbines will be attached to the foundation onshore before being towed out to the 300 m deep site.
Floating foundations could be a key technology in the US as 60% of the country’s offshore wind resources are in deep waters, including all of the West Coast.
Last, in Virginia, two 6 MW direct drive wind turbines are to be installed 40 km off the coast of Virginia Beach, again using a twisted jacket foundation. The project, from Dominion Virginia Power, will help demonstrate installation, operation and maintenance methods for turbines located far from shore.
The three projects form part of the US’ cross-government department National Offshore Wind Strategy. A 2010 report from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that the US has 4,000 GW of offshore wind power resource potential.
Meanwhile, the project team for what could be the US’ long-touted first offshore wind project, Cape Wind, has begun making geophysical surveys of the project site and cable routes at Horseshoe Shoal, Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts. Earlier this year the project, which has secured a mix of private funding and long-term power purchase agreements from two Massachusetts utilities, won legal cases that challenged its permit arrangements. The developers hope to have completed the wind farm by mid-2016.
News Item details
Journal title: Energy World
Countries: USA -
Subjects: Engineering, Maintenance, Policy and Governance, Offshore wind power, Electricity, Primary energy production, Deep water, Offshore technology, Wind farms, Funding, Offshore wind farms
