MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Vestas and Mistubishi Heavy Industries, has been named the preferred supplier for Vineyard Wind’s 800 MW offshore wind farm.
To be located in federal waters south of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., the project is expected to include 84 units of MHI Vestas’ V164-9.5 MW offshore wind turbine.
“We are pleased to announce the selection of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind as preferred supplier for the United States’ first utility-scale offshore wind farm,” says Lars Pedersen, CEO of Vineyard Wind, a 50/50 joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables. “MHI Vestas shares Massachusetts’ strategic commitment to affordable offshore wind power and sustainable energy solutions that will benefit future generations. By driving down the cost of energy through reliable wind turbine technology, MHI Vestas is the perfect partner for our company and the commonwealth.”
“We feel honored to have been selected as preferred supplier for the first large-scale offshore wind project in the United States,” says Philippe Kavafyan, CEO of MHI Vestas. “In bringing the V164-9.5 MW turbine to Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind ensures that the commonwealth will be home to our most recent technology that is extremely well-suited to conditions along the eastern seaboard. We look forward to partnering with Vineyard Wind to help Massachusetts achieve its climate targets and bring clean energy jobs to the region.”
In May, Vineyard Wind was selected as the winning bid under Massachusetts’ 83C offshore wind solicitation. The project continues to advance through the permitting process and requires regulatory approval from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, anticipated to be completed in early 2019. The project also requires permitting approval from state and federal agencies, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
In August 2016, Gov. Charlie Baker signed an energy bill that requires utilities to competitively solicit bids for approximately 1.6 GW of offshore wind power.
