The developer of the 2.4 GW Leading Light Wind project off the coast of New Jersey, the US, is requesting an additional delay for the project’s contract due to difficulties in securing essential equipment.
Leading Light Wind, developed by Invenergy and its partner energyRe, already received one pause on its project from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in September 2024, citing difficulties in finding a manufacturer of wind turbines.
The initial pause on the project ended on 20 December 2024. The day before, Leading Light Wind submitted a request to the NJBPU for an additional delay, extending it until 20 May 2025.
While the request did not cite difficulty in finding a wind turbine supplier as the cause for the second delay, it did state the following: “The offshore wind equipment market continues to experience significant price volatility and the Company has not yet identified a solution to that volatility”.
“While Invenergy has not resolved this problem, the Company continues to believe that the LLW Project has the potential to provide significant environmental and economic benefits to New Jersey and its residents,” according to the letter sent by the developer to the NJBPU.
“Invenergy has already invested millions of dollars in the LLW Project and continues to invest time and resources in its development. Invenergy remains committed to the LLW Project. The Company simply needs additional time to work through the present challenges.”
Leading Light Wind was one of two offshore wind projects selected in January 2024 by the state utilities board.
The wind farm is planned to be located more than 40 miles (about 64 kilometres) off Long Beach Island and is expected to power up to one million New Jersey homes.