Cable installation has begun for the Vineyard Wind commercial-scale offshore wind farm, located approximately 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard. The company expects to begin near-shore cable work off the south coast of Cape Cod shortly.
The work is being conducted by Prysmian Group, a subsea cable manufacturing and installation company. Prysmian recently announced plans to build the first U.S.-based offshore wind subsea cable factory in Somerset, Mass.
“For a project that has achieved many firsts, the beginning of offshore cable installation is perhaps the most significant we have achieved so far,” states Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus S. Moeller. “To get to this point has required an amazing effort by the Vineyard Wind team and we are proud to work with Prysmian, a company with world class experience dedicated to creating jobs in Massachusetts. I want to thank all the local, state and federal government agencies, which have been essential in thoroughly reviewing this project over the past five years and allowing us to reach this milestone.”
Prysmian is being supported by Foss Maritime, a U.S.-based, unionized maritime service company. The firm’s Nicole Foss will assist with both the offshore and nearshore work in the coming weeks.
“Foss is extremely pleased to be part of the Vineyard Wind export cable installation program,” mentions Joel Whitman, president of Foss Offshore Wind. “As a U.S. company, we are particularly proud to be involved in this milestone project for the US Offshore Wind industry.”
The fully Jones Act-compliant cable installation process permits the use of both U.S. and specialized European flagged vessels that work together. Fishing vessel Fleet King, which is being provided by Sea Services, is working alongside the Cable Enterprise to ensure good communication with fishermen and other mariners in the area.
In the coming weeks, Vineyard Wind will also begin near-shore at Covell’s Beach in Barnstable and will also employ fishing vessels to facilitate good communication with other local fisherman.
Cable installation will take place into early 2023.
Massachusetts Offshore Wind Project Starts Out Of Rhode Island Not New Bedford On July 16, 2021, a news story reported by Anastasia Lennon of the New Bedford Standard-Times reported the CEO of the offshore wind company was guaranteeing 500 union jobs from 20 local union affiliates and that the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal would serve as the staging and deployment base for offshore wind. It was also reported the Marine Commerce Terminal currently has lease agreements with various offshore wind companies but no one has seen the lease agreements. Between October 21 and 29, the foreign 104-foot wide cable ship “Cable Enterprise” showed… Read more »