Equinor Taps Ocean Infinity for Floating Wind Farm Site Survey off California
; Ocean Infinity said.Image Credit: Equinor (cropped) - File imageBack in December 2022, five leases were offered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in the first-ever offshore wind lease sale on the US west coast and the first-ever US sale to support commercial-scale floating offshore wind energy development opportunities. With a bid of USD 130 million for 80.062 acres in the Pacific Ocean, Equinor secured a ~2-gigawatt (GW) lease in the Morro Bay area that has the potential to generate enough energy to power ~750 000 US homes.Oliver Plunkett, CEO at Ocean Infinity explained how the
Seafloor Data Firm Bedrock Raises $25.5 M to Accelerate Offshore Wind Energy Development
Seafloor data acquisition and distribution firm Bedrock has said it has secured $25.5 million in its Series A funding round, bringing its total funding to date to $33.5M. The funds will be utilized to bring its data offering to the offshore wind market this year, and grow the company's proprietary unmanned autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) acquisition system. Bedrock says it has the potential to accelerate and reduce risks for the development of offshore wind energy projects, a key strategic interest supported by the Biden administration with significant support from the IRA (The
Alliance Says No Link Between Offshore Wind Surveys and Mammal Deaths
marine mammal populations.”“It is important here to note that the independent federal body charged with protecting the animals, the Marine Mammal Commission, recently stated that, ‘Despite several reports in the media, there is no evidence to link these strandings to offshore wind energy development.’ It further described the deaths as, ‘not new, nor are they unique to the U.S. Atlantic coast.’ For example, over 180 humpback whales have stranded along the East Coast since 2016, with 10 or more humpback whales beached each year since then, peaking at 34 in 2017
How Do Floating Wind Turbines Work?
actual wind turbines on the water will take time. The winners of the lease auction will undergo a Justice Department anti-trust review and then a long planning, permitting and environmental review process that typically takes several years.The first five federal lease areas for Pacific coast offshore wind energy development. (Image: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)Globally, several full-scale demonstration projects with floating wind turbines are already operating in Europe and Asia. The Hywind Scotland project became the first commercial-scale offshore floating wind farm in 2017, with five 6-megawatt
BOEM and NOAA Announce Joint Strategy for Fisheries Surveys
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries will work together to address potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on NOAA Fisheries’ scientific surveys, which help to manage the United States’s fisheries.For 150 years, the NOAA’s scientists have collected survey data that form the basis of the science-based management of America’s federal fisheries, support the protection and recovery of marine mammals and endangered and threatened species, and increase understanding and conservation of
DOE Seeks Input on Mooring & Anchoring Systems for Floating Wind
administration said on Tuesday that it would, on December 6, hold the first-ever offshore wind lease sale off the coast of California, which will be the first-ever offshore wind lease sale on the U.S. west coast and the first-ever U.S. sale to support potential commercial-scale floating offshore wind energy development. The administration said the sale would be critical to achieving the Biden-Harris administration's deployment goals of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy by 2035
VIDEO: BOEM, NOAA Use Drones to Tag Endangered Whales
little is known about the sei whale, which is one of the most endangered large whales in the North Atlantic. Understanding how the whales behave and use their habitat is critical for BOEM to assess potential impacts resulting from bureau-permitted offshore activities and ensure responsible offshore wind energy development," BOEM said.According to BOEM, digital acoustic tagging is a component of a larger BOEM study into the Spatial and Acoustic Behavior of Endangered Large Whales to address gaps in information on a variety of endangered large whale species – including sei, North Atlantic right
California Offshore Wind Project Progresing
Northern California energy authority RCEA and a consortium of private companies, including Aker Solutions and Principle Power, have submitted a lease application to advance the first commercial scale project for floating offshore wind in the United States.The application for the offshore wind energy development off the coast of Humboldt county in Northern California has been submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).In April this year, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) selected a consortium which includes Aker Solutions, Principle Power and EDPR Offshore to enter into
Denmark, US to Partner on Offshore Wind
(MOU) to recognize their countries' common interests in developing offshore wind as a clean and sustainable energy source. “This is a historic event for our respective countries as we work together to share knowledge, experiences, data and best practices relevant to offshore wind energy development,” said Director Hopper. “This MOU represents an exciting milestone toward a achieving a clean energy future.” “This agreement is a testimony to the strong Transatlantic ties between Denmark and the U.S.,” Ambassador Lose said. “Denmark has
February 2024
