In support of the emerging offshore wind industry, Anbaric and Commercial Development Company Inc. (CDC)’s Brayton Point LLC have announced an agreement to launch the Anbaric Renewable Energy Center at the CDC’s Brayton Point Commerce Center in Somerset, Mass.
CDC, a real estate acquisition and development firm, purchased the retired Brayton Point Power Station in 2018. For 50 years, Brayton Point was home to a 1,600 MW coal-fired power plant.
Now, transmission company Anbaric has partnered with Brayton Point LLC to launch the new Anbaric Renewable Energy Center, which will be a logistics port, manufacturing hub and support center for offshore wind, as envisioned by CDC.
The central element of the Anbaric Renewable Energy Center is a 1,200 MW high-voltage direct-current converter – an investment estimated at $250 million – to serve the offshore wind industry. In addition, Anbaric will commence the development of 400 MW of on-site battery storage, which would bring an additional $400 million in investment.
“The Renewable Energy Center represents Anbaric’s broader vision for its Massachusetts OceanGrid project: high-capacity transmission infrastructure to maximize the potential of the region’s offshore wind energy resource,” says Edward Krapels, CEO of Anbaric. “As Massachusetts considers harnessing more offshore wind, the right infrastructure needs to be envisioned and set in motion. An HVDC substation is an important piece not only for Brayton Point Commerce Center, but also Massachusetts’ status as a leader in offshore wind.”
Late last month, CDC imploded two massive cooling towers at Brayton Point.
“Developing a landing point for 1,200 MW of offshore wind at the site of a former coal plant physically and symbolically represents the transformation from fossil fuels to wind,” Krapels continues. “While the South Coast has lost a coal plant, it’s quickly becoming the nexus of a new clean energy economy and emerging as one of the great energy stories in the world. This agreement is a symbol of the change that’s coming – and it promises to be a very powerful economic driver in the region.”
“As our country marches towards a clean energy future, our commonwealth’s workers and businesses can be found standing on the frontlines along the South Coast,” says U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass. “By reimagining and rebuilding Brayton Point to meet the needs of our emerging offshore wind industry, the Anbaric Renewable Energy Center will not only strengthen our local economy, it will help us confront the effects of climate change already threatening our coastal communities.”
