One other blow to the US’ offshore wind ambitions

Offshore wind power large Ørsted is pushing again the beginning date for Revolution Wind, the undertaking it’s constructing off the coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut.

It’s a one other setback to the Biden administration’s hopes of sourcing clear power from new offshore wind farms which have confronted a myriad of challenges for the reason that covid-19 pandemic.

Revolution Wind is now anticipated to start out operating by 2026 as an alternative of subsequent yr, Ørsted introduced at this time. The issue lies on land. Ørsted’s associate on the undertaking, Eversource Vitality, is constructing a substation on a former naval station the place lingering soil contamination is seemingly going to take longer to clear than anticipated.

“Danger is an built-in a part of tasks. The early stage US market is hit more durable than wherever else,” Ørsted CEO Mads Nipper stated in a name with reporters.

The delay comes after Ørsted canceled two different massive tasks off the coast of New Jersey final October referred to as Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 that collectively would have generated 2,248 megawatts of renewable power. The Danish firm dropped these tasks after dealing with rising rates of interest and inflation on high of lingering provide chain issues for the reason that pandemic.

The corporate did full its smaller 132MW South Fork Wind farm off the coast of New York this yr, one other three way partnership with Eversource. Ørsted can be constructing Dawn Wind, a 924MW undertaking off New York’s shoreline anticipated to start out working in 2026 or 2027.

Revolution Wind isn’t fairly as massive, anticipated to generate 704MW of renewable power as soon as full. That’s roughly sufficient power to energy 350,000 houses in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Quickly after getting into workplace, President Biden set a aim of ramping up US offshore wind capability from simply 42MW to 30,000MW by the top of the last decade. The US continues to be removed from that concentrate on, with lively tasks within the pipeline estimated in July to whole 4,800 MW of latest capability in the event that they make it to the end line.