Norwegian energy company Equinor has on behalf of its U.S. offshore wind joint venture with BP, selected Dutch offshore installation firm Heerema Marine Contractors as a strategic supplier to develop the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects.
The plan is to eventually enter into a strategic supplier agreement for the transportation and installation services of wind farm foundations and offshore substations for the United States East Coast projects.
This deal will include the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind offshore wind farms and will cover a firm period of seven years.
"Throughout this period, Equinor, BP as 50% joint venture partner, and Heerema will collaborate as exclusive partners in the preparation and Jones Act compliant execution of the projects. Together, Heerema and Equinor will focus on optimizing the economic benefits the projects can generate for the New York State communities," Heerema Marine Contractors said.
Heerema’s CEO Koos-Jan van Brouwershaven: "The award of this unique agreement is yet another chapter in a long history of working together globally with both Equinor and bp on often challenging offshore installation projects. We are proud to be selected to join Equinor and BP once again in a frontier market and region. The future of offshore wind relies on strong forward-looking partnerships that recognize the need to secure transport and installation capacity."
Empire Wind and Beacon Wind are developed by a 50-50 partnership between Equinor and bp. Equinor will be the operator through the development, construction, and operations phase of the project. Empire Wind and Beacon Wind will produce 2.1 GW and 1.2 GW of renewable offshore wind power for households in the State of New York and the wider region in the Northeast of the United States.
Heerema’s Director Wind, Jeroen van Oosten: ‘We are very pleased to have developed a contractual framework together with Equinor that enables true partnership. Together we have established a basis of mutual trust and transparency as core values, and I am excited to see the benefits of this innovative agreement materialize for both our client and Heerema.’
Heerema’s offshore wind portfolio includes, amongst others, the He Dreiht monopile installation project (Germany), the Arcadis Ost I wind turbine generator project (Germany) the Dogger Bank C substation (UK), and the Baltic Eagle substation (Germany).