Avangrid has finalized an agreement to assume responsibility as the operations and management services provider for Vineyard Wind 1, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States.
The 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1, a 50-50 joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) funds CI II and CI III, is currently under construction off the coast of Massachusetts.
”Avangrid is proud to pioneer the offshore wind industry in the United States, and by leveraging the global experience of the Iberdrola group and a skilled and talented local workforce, we are well positioned to maximize the operation and performance of the historic, nation-leading Vineyard Wind 1 project,” said Pedro Azagra , CEO of Avangrid.
”Offshore wind represents a tremendous opportunity to advance the United States’ ambitious climate goals, and the completion and successful operation of Vineyard Wind 1 will lay the groundwork for the continued growth of the industry in the decades to come, including Avangrid’s robust 4.9 Gigawatt project pipeline.”
The agreements include the Operations and Maintenance Service Agreement and Asset Management Agreement, which designate Avangrid as the party responsible for overseeing the operation and management of the facility once construction is complete and commercial operations begin.
Through these agreements, Avangrid will provide services to the Vineyard Wind project and be the lead for the operations management of the wind farm, including the supervision of tasks such as turbine, cable and substation maintenance, coordination of contractors, 24/7 control center services, trading, and assets management.
Avangrid will hire approximately 20 technically qualified employees, including key roles that will receive training overseas through Iberdrola’s operational offshore wind farms in the United Kingdom and Europe, helping to prepare them to knowledgeably operate the facility.
Vineyard Wind 1, located 15 miles (some 24 kilometres) off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, will feature 62 Haliade-X 13 MW turbines and is expected to deliver its first power to the grid in 2023, and achieve commercial operations in 2024.
In January 2022, Avangrid announced the completion of the restructuring of its existing Vineyard Wind joint venture to become the largest offshore wind supplier in New England. In total, Avangrid has a projected offshore wind pipeline of 5 GW on the East Coast of the United States – enough to power more than two million households.
In addition to its 50 per cent stake in the first-in-the-nation Vineyard Wind 1 project, Avangrid owns 100 per cent of 1.2 GW Commonwealth Wind off Massachusetts, the 804 MW Park City Wind off Connecticut, and the 2.5 GW Kitty Hawk Wind off the coast of North Carolina.
Over the last year, Iberdrola has invested in new growth platforms in other countries such as Poland, Sweden, Ireland, Japan, and Australia, which has increased the size of the group’s global offshore wind portfolio to 31.7 GW.