French offshore cable-making and installation company Nexans has signed a firm contract to supply offshore wind export cables for phase one of the Empire Wind offshore wind project in the U.S., being developed by a 50-50 partnership between Equinor and BP.
"This contract signature follows the Preferred Supplier Agreement signed in March 2021, which prompted several months of collaborative work to negotiate a turnkey contract, covering the design and manufacturing, as well as the laying and protection of export cables for the project," Nexans said.
The cables will be manufactured at Nexans’ facilities in Charleston, South Carolina, and Halden, Norway, and will also be installed by Nexans.
The Empire Wind lease area for the first phase of the overall 2.1-gigawatt project is located about 20 miles (33km) south of Long Island and east of the Rockaways. Nexans will install the export cables over 93 miles (150km) from the offshore substation for Empire Wind 1 to landfall at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
The Empire Wind 1 project, when completed, will deliver electricity to over 500,000 homes.
Christopher Guérin, CEO of Nexans, said: “New York is one of the most aggressive states in the U.S. in terms of committing itself to create a fully carbon-free statewide economy, and offshore wind energy will likely be the main source of electricity for the state by 2035.
Signing the contract for Empire Wind 1 further establishes Nexans as a major player in renewable energy in the United States, and will alleviate added pressures on the state’s electrical grids. We look forward to continuing our relationships with Equinor and bp as we work together to electrify the future.”