Avangrid Renewables, a sbsidiary of AVANGRID Inc., and Prysmian Group have reached a milestone in the development of AVANGRID’s Commonwealth Wind project. Prysmian Group has finalized an agreement to acquire a 47-acre parcel at the former Brayton Point coal plant in Somerset, where it will construct the first facility in Massachusetts for the manufacturing of offshore wind components.
“AVANGRID is proud to be a leader in the U.S. offshore wind industry and deliver transformational investments that create quality jobs, support local economies and advance the development of a local supply chain for the growing U.S. market,” states Ignacio Galán, chairman and CEO of Iberdrola, and chairman of AVANGRID. “Drawing on Iberdrola’s global offshore wind experience, we are uniquely positioned to help states like Massachusetts capitalize on the opportunities presented by this new industry.”
The Prysmian Group facility, which will manufacture subsea transmission cables to bring the clean power generated by offshore wind to the electrical grid, was included as part of Avangrid Renewables’ 1,232 MW Commonwealth Wind project. Commonwealth Wind was selected by Massachusetts in December 2021 as part of the state’s third competitive procurement for offshore wind power.
“I would like to extend particular thanks to the Massachusetts state government for its attention to this important project, which will make it possible to convert the area home to the former Somerset coal plant to production in support of the energy transition in the USA,” comments Hakan Ozmen, EVP of projects business at Prysmian Group. “Prysmian Group already has a significant presence in the USA and the new plant will allow us to provide even closer support to our customers and gain a strong competitive advantage in a market expected to undergo sharp growth, with the goal of 30 GW of new capacity to be installed by 2030 under the Biden Plan.”
Brayton Point is a former 1,600 MW coal-fired power plant which was commissioned in 1963 and decommissioned in 2017. The site was identified by AVANGRID and Prysmian Group as an ideal location for local offshore wind manufacturing due to its waterfront industrial location and large acreage.
“The Commonwealth has taken aggressive, nation leading steps in our effort to secure cost-effective offshore wind energy that contributes to our goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and provides critical energy reliability,” says Gov. Charlie Baker. “The construction of the Prysmian Groups new facility at Brayton Point will have considerable positive impacts on the state, the regional workforce, and local economies and we are pleased to join so many partners here today to celebrate this milestone.”
Through a $200 million investment, Prysmian Group will construct a facility to manufacture subsea transmission cables, and will design, supply, install and commission cabling for AVANGRID’s Commonwealth Wind and Park City Wind projects.
“AVANGRID is proud to be at the forefront of the offshore wind industry’s growth, as we plan to invest over $10 billion to build our portfolio of more than 2,400 MW to serve New England customers,” declares Dennis V. Arriola, AVANGRID’s CEO. “Our Commonwealth Wind project represents the full potential of a clean energy future – abundant, affordable energy; thousands of local jobs and transformational economic development; the creation of a diverse and equitable workforce; and a brighter future for historic industrial communities.”
In December 2021, Commonwealth Wind was selected by Massachusetts through its third competitive procurement process for offshore wind power. The project represents the largest offshore wind project in New England and will create 11,000 full time equivalent jobs over the project’s lifetime while generating enough energy to power 750,000 homes annually.
“In developing the Commonwealth Wind project, our team is tremendously proud to deliver Massachusetts’ first offshore wind manufacturing facility and realize the dream of long-term manufacturing jobs on the South Coast,” states Bill White, president and CEO of Avangrid Renewables Offshore. “By working with an industry leading partner in Prysmian, this partnership is a great example of how we can transform 20th-century infrastructure into clean energy hubs for the future to serve as anchors for long term jobs and investment.”
In addition to the Brayton Point facility, Commonwealth Wind will establish Massachusetts’ second offshore wind port in Salem Harbor, which will provide another anchor for the creation of long-term jobs to support the emerging offshore wind industry.
Commonwealth Wind will also deliver a host of energy, environmental and workforce benefits to Massachusetts, including a partnership to supply offshore wind power to municipal utilities; significant investments in the development of a diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce; and an investment in New Bedford to create an offshore wind operations and maintenance control center.
