Category Archives: Offshore

Onshore wind turbines can be found everywhere from the tropics to the Arctic. Three decades ago, developers started putting them on fixed foundations out at sea, sparking the rise of the offshore wind market, which added 6.1 gigawatts of new capacity in 2019.

More recently, the wind industry embarkedon an even more ambitious endeavor: putting turbines on floating platforms in the water, rather than fixed foundations. Now on the verge of commercial maturity, floating wind has the potential to become one of the most important new renewable energy markets.

Its pretty much exactly whatit sounds like. Instead of putting a wind turbine on a fixed foundation in the sea, you attach it to a structure that floats in the water. The structure is tethered to the seabed to stop it from drifting off into a beach or shipping lane.

Todays floating wind designs envision using standard offshore turbines, export cables and balance-of-plant materials. The key difference between floating and fixed-foundation offshore wind is that the latter is limited to water depths of up to around 165 feet.

To keep turbines upright, floating foundations rely on the iceberg principle: Most of the mass is underwater.

At Hywind Scotland, the worlds only commercial floating wind farm today, each Siemens SWT-6.0-154 turbine has a towerhead mass of around 350 tons and sits on a foundation with roughly 6,060 tons of solid ballast and a displacement of some 13,230 tons.

Provided the water underneath the turbine is deep enough, the shape of the foundation may not matter much. In practice, though, floating foundation developers have focused on designs that are going to be cheap to build and easy to work with from the perspective ofoperations and maintenance.

That still leaves plenty of room for imagination: Every developer has a different concept and a compellingargument forwhy it is the best. Four basic designs are leading the market today.

Using its experience in the oil and gas industry, Equinor (formerly Statoil) has based its pioneering Hywind floating platform on a spar buoy design that relies on gravity for stability. The spar buoy is assembled in sections and extends down to around 260 feet beneath the sea surface, making it appropriate for water depths of between roughly 310 and 390 feet.

Other developers, such as Principle Power and Hexicon, favor a semi-submersible platform design that relies on buoyancy for stability and is suitable for shallower drafts. Critics note that the large size of the structures could restrict maneuverability in ports.

A third design,championed by the French foundation maker Ideol, is a square barge that contains a damping pool to maintain turbine stability. Like the semi-submersible model, this is suitable for shallower waters, and Ideol touts the fact that its concrete fabrication comes inhandy from a local content perspective.

Finally, a concept called the tension-leg platform relies on a taut mooring system to provide stability. This allows the structure to have a smaller physical footprint and potentially be cheaper than competing models. Danish firm Stiesdal Offshore Technologies is leading the development of this concept with a product called TetraSpar.

Equinor was the first company to build commercial-scale floating wind farm, and to date, its Hywind design is the only one that has a significant operational track record.

The Norwegian energy giant claims it was able to cutcostsby up to 70 percent between its first demo project, off the coast of Scotland, and its 30-megawatt commercial wind farm. It's expecting to cut foundation costs by up to an additional50 percent for Tampen, an 88 MWproject scheduled to enter operation off the Norwegian coast in 2022.

In February, Sebastian Bringsvrd, Equinors head of floating wind development, cited a cost target of 40 to 60 ($44 to $66) per megawatt-hour by 2030. These rapid cost reductions could give Equinor the upper hand in forthcoming floating offshore wind tenders.

But a May 2019 analysis of upcoming project figures collated by IHS Markit foundthat 90 percent of floating offshore wind capacity is likely to be installed on semi-submersible platforms, with Principle Power leading the market.

Equinors spar buoy foundation is essentially a hollow steel cylinder that can be towed out to the site before being partially filled with water and ballast to force it to remain upright. The latest iteration of the foundation needs at least 345 feet of water when upright, meaning turbine installation would most likely happen out atsea, as with traditional foundations.

With other foundation designs, the minimum depth requirement is much lower so turbine installation could happen onshore with the fully assembled turbines and foundations then towed to site, significantly cutting costs.

Putting turbines onto floaters gives a developer access deeper waters, which meansmore potential project sites and lots more potential capacity.

Some 60 percent of available offshore wind resource in the U.S.is beyond the reach of fixed-bottom foundation turbines, includingpractically the whole of the West Coast, according to a2017 statement from industry body WindEurope,

In Europe, floating offshore wind could deliver an extra 4 terawatts over and above the continents already leading level of bottom-fixedcapacity. And in Japan, floating foundations will be critical for the development of an offshore wind sector that could offer 500 gigawatts of capacity.

Beyond the ability to capture vast untapped energy resources, floating offshore wind also carries significant industrial promise. For the U.S., it could be a way to get into a renewables sector that the country has so far barely been able to qualify for. And Europes oil and gas companies, which seem increasingly committed to joining the energy transition, see floating wind as an area where their existing offshore experience can pay handsome dividends.

European oil and gas companies, for starters. Equinor is the most notable example, but Royal Dutch Shell is emerging as a major player, and Italian contractor Saipem unveiled a platform last year.

France's Total bought into the market in Marchand earlier this month acquired a 20 percent stake in the Eolmed project in the Mediterranean that willuse Ideol's foundation and MHI Vestas turbines.

These players seem keen to compete or partner with a host of independent floating platform developers, such as Ideol, Principle Power and Stiesdal Offshore. At the same time, the oil majors may take on project development and asset ownership roles. In this respect, they could compete with established offshore wind farm developers such as rsted and Iberdrola.

rsted hasnt revealed any floating offshore wind plans yet, but EDP Renewables and Engie have joined forces onthe WindFloat Atlantic project (alongside Spanish oil and gas firm Repsol), and Iberdrola announced two pilot projects in March.

Finally, there arethe wind turbine manufacturers. Offshore wind turbine leaders such as Siemens Gamesa, MHI Vestas and GE have stayed away from the intricacies of floating foundation design, but they hardly need to worry. The massive turbines they are launching are increasingly designed to operate far offshore on floating platforms, and the market potential they are looking at is impressive.

Regardless of whether it takes off in the U.S., there's no doubt that floating offshore wind is going places at the global level. Even in the short term, that could lead to some interesting developments in the offshore wind sector.

American companyPrinciple Powercould playa leading role in the development of the industry, for example. Japan could finally develop offshore wind. And European oil and gas majors might really come into their own as wind energy players.

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So, What Exactly Is Floating Offshore Wind? - Greentech Media News

Stakeholders in offshore wind construction projects, including vessel owners and operators, project developers, and equipment manufacturers, should ensure that their plans for offshore wind development comply with the Jones Act. While most stakeholders already assume in their planning that the Jones Act applies, new pending legislation, if enacted, would confirm that the Jones Act does indeed apply to offshore wind construction.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

The House of Representatives passed legislation, H.R. 4447, the Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019, on September 24, 2020, which included a provision from Representatives Garamendi and Lowenthal (Amendment 33) to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) that would confirm the Jones Act applies to all offshore energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), including wind energy. While most projects were planned with Jones Act compliance in mind, this is a welcome development for all stakeholders, as it will bring needed clarity to renewable energy development offshore.

BACKGROUND

The Coastwise Merchandise Statute, commonly known as the Jones Act, has evolved over time. The U.S. cabotage laws date back to the founding of the Republic and were enshrined in their current form in the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. These were originally laws that dealt with transportation issues for domestic voyages. However, as time progressed and production of marine resources became feasible, the U.S. Congress passed OCSLA, which extended federal law to installations on the OCS.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has historically interpreted OCSLA to apply the Jones Act to oil and gas related activities on the OCS. However, there is some ambiguity about whether the Jones Act applies to offshore wind projects. Arguably, under current law, the coastwise laws should not apply to a wind farm project located on the OCS because the resource is the wind above the ocean, not from the seabed itself. While most companies have conservatively assumed that the Jones Act will apply to offshore wind construction, CBP has yet to rule on this issue. In addition, other agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard, take the position that OCSLA does not apply to an offshore wind project.

ANALYSIS

Amendment 33 would extend federal law to all installations and other devices permanently or temporarily attached to the seabed [for the purposes of] . producing or supporting the production of energy from sources other than oil and gas. (amendment text in italics). The drafters of this provision have publicly declared that the purpose of this amendment is to extend the Jones Act to offshore renewables. While there have been some articles in the media questioning whether this language is flawed, we believe those articles are in error. The operative language here in the use of the words supporting the production are extremely broad and thus would clearly extend the Jones Act to offshore renewables including the placement of wind structures on the seabed.

As such, we believe CBP would have to conclude, if this language is enacted, that the Jones Act applies to renewable energy projects, such as offshore wind in the same way it applies to oil and gas. This legislation would be a positive development for vessel operators and renewable energy developers because it will bring clarity and ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders.

While enactment of this bill remains possible during the current Congress, there are numerous hurdles to overcome. The House of Representatives passed their version of an energy bill on September 24, 2020. While no action has been taken by the Senate to date on their version of the energy bill, it is possible that the bill, including Amendment 33, would come under consideration during the lame duck session after the November 3, 2020 federal election. Depending on other issues and the results of the election, passage by the Senate during this session could occur. In particular, the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), has publicly and emphatically stated her commitment to accomplishing an energy bill this year. Nevertheless, even if the Senate passes their version of an energy bill during the lame duck session, the House and the Senate would still have to harmonize the language in their respective bills before Congress could pass it and be signed into law by the president. As of this writing, the Senate bill does not include similar language.

CONCLUSION

Enactment of Amendment 33 would bring welcome certainty to the application of the Jones Act to offshore renewable work. This law would give CBP the needed clarity to adequately rule on offshore wind issues related to Jones Act compliance. In addition, other federal agencies would have to align their positions on offshore wind with the new legislation. Passage of Amendment 33 would assist the burgeoning offshore wind industry, which in its nascent years in the United States has shown tremendous promise for energy production as well as exciting opportunities for domestic and international vessel owners and operators and shipyards.

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New Legislation to Apply the Jones Act to Offshore Renewables - JD Supra

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Equinor submitted bids into New Yorks second offshore wind solicitation, building on its strong commitment to deliver renewable energy to the Empire State. In keeping with New Yorks commitment to a just energy transition Equinor would provide large investments in economically disadvantaged communities.

Equinor submitted its proposals to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in response to the states most recent solicitation requesting proposals for up to 2,500 megawatts of offshore wind and a multi-port infrastructure investment plan.

The U.S. offshore wind industry is poised for expansion and we are passionate about creating substantial value in the New York market, said Siri Espedal Kindem, President Equinor Wind U.S. These proposals include significant new benefits for New York from workforce training, economic development, and community benefits alongside a tremendous amount of homegrown, renewable energy. We look forward to building on our collective success in New York together.

Equinor has offered bids including two projects, Empire Wind Phase 2 and Beacon Wind, which together have the potential to power more than one million homes and generate more than 3,000 new jobs for New York State. This latest announcement builds on the success of Empire Wind Phase 1, an 816 MW winning bid in 2019 that is currently under development, and further demonstrates the companys position as a leader in the U.S. offshore wind industry and a major player in advancing New Yorks ambitious renewable energy agenda.

Equinors projects will help achieve New Yorks nation-leading renewable energy goals and enable the region to build back better, supporting the states economic rebound and strengthening economically disadvantaged communities.

Equinor plans to use the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal for construction activities and its operations and maintenance (O&M) base going forward. The proposals include plans for manufacturing offshore wind components upstate at the Port of Coeymans and the Port of Albany. In addition, Equinor is advancing efforts to address environmental justice and support disadvantaged communities, basing many of the projects investments in these underserved communities.

Equinors investments are an extension of its company-wide commitment to ensuring that its activities create lasting value for local communities through its business activities, including direct and indirect local employment, procurement, and social investments.

New York State has a goal to secure 70 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030, and at least 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. The state has indicated it will notify awards for the solicitation during Q4 2020.

In September 2020, BP and Equinor announced that they have formed a strategic partnership for offshore wind in the U.S., and that BP will be a 50% non-operating partner in the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind assets on the U.S. East Coast. The transaction is expected to close in early 2021.

About Equinor

Equinor is developing into a broad energy company, building a material position in renewable energy. Equinor now powers more than one million European homes with renewable offshore wind from four projects in the United Kingdom and Germany. Equinor commissioned the worlds first floating offshore wind farm in 2017 off the coast of Scotland. In the U.S., Equinor holds two lease areas, the Empire Wind lease located approximately 20 miles south of Long Island and the Beacon Wind lease area 60 miles off the coast of Long Island.

Key Facts

Empire Wind:

Beacon Wind:

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Equinor Ready to Expand Offshore Wind in New York, Invest Locally - Business Wire

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) has just signed a new contract with the maritime services and solutions provider MacGregor to deliver a Pile Gripper Guidance System (PGGS) for the OHT Alfa Lift. Scheduled for delivery in 2021, Alfa Lift will be the worlds largest custom-built offshore wind foundation installation vessel, equipped with a 3,000t main crane. The ships 10,000+ m smart deck will carry up to 14 XL monopiles per voyage and will also be fully submersible to a depth of 14.66m.

Under the terms of the contract, MacGregor will deliver a motion-compensated pile gripper frame, while KONGSBERGs PGGS will integrate the gripper with the many other KM systems on board the OHT Alfa Lift. A K-Pos dual-redundant dynamic positioning system will interface with a K-Chief marine automation system and K-Thrust thruster control system, bringing all the technical and economic benefits which result from the integration of a vessels monitoring and control functions, while a K-Bridge integrated navigation system will provide a single, intuitive user interface for the ships multiple connected systems. A full suite of safe, reliable, compact and cost-effective K-Power products will accommodate the main switchboard, generators and drives, while KMs azimuth and tunnel thrusters will take care of the vessels propulsion, steering and positioning thrust.

Kongsberg Maritime and MacGregor have both been working in close collaboration to develop this new, integrated monopile installation solution, incorporating KMs most sophisticated, up-to-date automated handling functionality. By removing the need for temporary mooring procedures during installation operations, the solution will enhance safety, productivity and mission consistency, generating substantial savings in time and money for the specialist transport and installation contractor OHT. In time, these positive changes will be reflected in a wider sense when the concept is rolled out across the offshore wind energy market.

Kongsberg Maritime is to supply a PGGS for the OHT Alfa Lift offshore wind foundation installation vessel

Working with Kongsberg Maritime and OHT on this solution has been a mutually rewarding process, says Kristina Arutjunova, Director Sales and Marketing Innovations, MacGregor. Were significantly raising the bar for safety, sustainability, precision and efficiency by dispensing with so many of the challenges traditionally posed by complex offshore operations of this nature.

This order secures KMs role as a leading technology provider for heavy offshore vessels, adds Birger Evensen, Sales Director Offshore, Kongsberg Maritime. Working closely with MacGregor, we have developed an innovative solution that improves the efficiency of foundation installation vessels by replacing lengthy, temporary mooring processes with full DP, in combination with an integrated guidance system and hydraulic frame mechanism.

The interdependence such enterprises require will benefit us all. Our technology, solutions and expertise will continue to make harnessing wind power safer and more efficient by streamlining installation processes, while the lessons we learn from our work with offshore energy clients will contribute considerably towards creating a cleaner and more sustainable future.Source: Kongsberg Maritime

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KM strengthens its position in the offshore wind sector with an innovative solution for installation vessels - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

KEPCO E&C in South Korea has appointed KCI the Engineers as an engineering consultant for wind turbine foundations for the Jeju Hanlim offshore wind project.

The Netherlands-based engineering consultancy will review and provide technical advice on wind turbine substructures from concept to detailed design phase.

On the Jeju Hanlim project, KEPCO E&C is working as part of a consortium within which SPC KEPCO E&C will perform the engineering and procurement of the offshore wind farm.

KCI the engineers is very grateful for being selected for this important development. It is an honor to assist Kepco E&C with the first steps into this new field for South Korea with engineering assistance and lessons learned during the development of European windfarms, KCI said via social media.

Last year, the consortium behind the Jeju Hanlim project selected the Dutch engineering consultancy Pondera and Korean engineering company Hanmi Global for owners engineering services for the offshore wind farm.

Jeju Hanlim, planned to have a capacity of 100 MW, is located near theTamra offshore wind farmjust off the coast of the Jeju Island.

The consortium developing the project since 2011, led by KEPCO E&C, also includes KOMIPO, DAELIM, and BARAM.

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KCI Wins Offshore Wind Contract in South Korea - Offshore WIND

A new 3.5m offshore innovation programme is targeting supply chain companies in the North of Tyne area in the UK with opportunities to fund and support technology innovation in offshore wind and subsea sectors.

The Technology, Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables (TIGGOR) programme is being funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) as part of its wider Energy, Green Growth and Climate Change commitments.

The NTCA has partnered with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, who will deliver the programme on their behalf.

ORE Catapult will, in turn, partner with the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which will part-fund and deliver a key strand of the programme.

The initiative has received backing from Equinor, joint venture partner and future operator of Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, the worlds largest offshore wind farm that will have its onshore base at Port of Tyne, and EDF Renewables, which owns and operates the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator wind farm.

Businesses joining the programme will be able to access either competitive technology demonstration funding support or business growth support, depending on their needs.

The technology demonstration support will be led by ORE Catapult, alongside Equinor and EDF Renewables, to provide technology assessment, advice and potential funding in areas such as robotics and autonomous systems, digital twins and next generation technologies for improved operations and maintenance.

Support for supply chain business growth will be delivered by OWGP, with input from the North East LEPs Growth Hub, for businesses both in the North of Tyne area and also across the North East region.

Jamie Driscoll, Mayor for the North of Tyne, said: The energy sector is a major strength in the North of Tyne.

This offshore innovation programme will create jobs and tackle the climate emergency and it provides a game-changing opportunity for our local companies. We will build on our world class assets to establish the North of Tyne as a world leader in clean energy.

Dogger Bank Wind Farm digitalisation manager Sophie Banham said: The sheer size of Dogger Bank means it will be a really data-rich project, and so were excited that it has the potential to be a flagship project for digitalisation in offshore wind.

There is a huge amount of value to be uncovered through innovation and new technology, and so plenty of opportunities for forward-thinking companies to get involved.

We really want local businesses based in the North East to reap the benefits from having this landmark project on their doorstep, and are delighted to be part of this programme that will enable just that, at a time when job creation and business growth is needed more than ever.

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UK initiative to nurture North of Tyne offshore supply chain - reNEWS

Tropical Storm Epsilon has formed in the central Atlantic, 735 miles to the southeast of Bermuda. Epsilon is near stationary and will continue to be slow moving through Monday night. A slow west-northwest motion should begin on Tuesday which will contine through midweek.

The National Hurricane Center is expecting the storm to be at or near hurricane strength as it approaches the island of Bermuda late this week. While it is too soon to determine Epsilons track and intensity near the island, there is a risk for high winds, storm surge, and excessive rainfall. Interestes there should monitor the progression of Epsilon this week.

This is the second time on record that the Greek alphabet letter has been used. The last time Epsilon was used was in the historic 2005 Hurricane Season where the storm formed over a month later on November 29.

Update 9 a.m. Monday

Tropical Depression 27 formed early Monday morning about 720 miles southeast of Bermuda.

The depression does not pose any risk to the east coast of the United States, for now. A blocking high pressure to the north of the system is preventing it from traveling northward into the open Atlantic. Instead it is expected to meander in the vicinity over the next few days. However, there is expected to be some coastal impacts due to the strong high pressure to the north and Tropical Depression 27. Large swells will push westward towards the coastlines leading to high surf and dangerous rip currents this week. These coastal hazards could extend as far south as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Onshore winds from the depression could exacerbate the King Tides which have been peaking since Saturday along parts of the Southeast coast. Coastal flooding may continue across shorelines through early this week, especially if the depression intensifies offshore. The Monday morning forecast from the National Hurricane Center strengthens the depression into a tropical storm later Monday and into a hurricane late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Additionally, the National Hurricane Center said there is a slight chance of tropical cyclone development in the western Caribbean late this week. A broad area of low pressure may develop in the next two to five days to the south of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Forecasters Monday morning have given this area a low chance of development over the next few days. It is too soon to determine if this system will pose a threat to Florida or the U.S. East Coast.

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Tropical Storm Epsilon Forms And Could Become A Hurricane Offshore Later This Week - WMFE

The operator of the Port of Great Yarmouth has made a case for the site to be considered as a strategic offshore wind port by the UK Government.

The Port of Great Yarmouth is ready to support Boris Johnsons pledge to power every home in the UK with offshore wind energy within a decade, Peel Ports stated.

At the recent Conservative party conference, the Prime Minister said 160m would go towards upgrading ports and factories for building turbines to help the country "build back greener".

The Port of Great Yarmouth, which has more than 50 years experience in delivering offshore projects, has invested 12m in upgrading its quays, equipment and storage areas to support the industry.

The ports location is close to the Southern North Sea, which has the largest concentration of offshore wind projects in the world.

The majority of these are within 140 km of the deepwater port, which makes it ideally positioned to deliver large-scale offshore projects to meet government targets, stated Peel Ports.

Peel Ports great Yarmouth port director Richard Goffin said: We welcome the PMs announcement that he is planning to invest in a sector that we have always identified as key to meeting targets for greener energy production.

At Great Yarmouth, we have already invested significantly in our facilities to support the sector and we have a proven track record of delivering big offshore energy projects.

We were selected to act as the marshalling harbour for the Galloper wind farm and more recently the East Anglia 1 wind farm that became fully operational this year.

Johnsons initial commitment is the first stage of a 10-point plan for a "green industrial revolution".

The Government will reveal more detail later this year to "accelerate progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.

To meet these targets, Peel Ports Great Yarmouth is continuing to invest in its facilities, with significant development plans in the pipeline, including the possibility to expand the ports footprint by land reclamation.

In September, Norfolk County Council announced 6m of funding to deliver an offshore energy operations and maintenance campus at the port.

The investment aims to rejuvenate parts of land owned by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Peel Ports Great Yarmouth to create a campus located at the entrance of the River Yare.

Goffin added: Were already capable of supporting all wind farm industry port operations, including surveying, manufacturing, pre-assembly, installation and commissioning, operational and maintenance, and decommissioning.

However, we are continually investing in our site, quays and facilities to ensure we can host any scale of offshore projects.

As well as the creation of the O&M campus, there is also the potential for us to add further land for development including a Southern terminal creating an extra 10 hectares of outside storage space, an additional 350m quay, a new heavy lift pad area and options for both RoRo and LoLo operations.

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Great Yarmouth reveals aim to be 'UK strategic offshore port' - reNEWS

Enrico Dela Cruz October 20, 2020

Credit; Jadestone Energy

The president of the exploration arm of the Philippine NationalOilCompany (PNOC) said on Tuesday the company aimed to start an energy exploration venture with China National OffshoreOilCorp (CNOOC) in the South China Sea by 2021.

PNOC was awarded Service Contract 57 by the Department of Energy in 2005 covering the Calamianoiland gas prospect, near the Philippines' Malampaya natural gas discovery.

Service Contract 57 is among five Philippine exploration projects that can now proceed following President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to lift a six-year-old moratorium on energy-related activities in the South China Sea.

Based on initial studies, the prospect may have natural gas reserves equivalent to two-thirds of Malampaya's 2.9-3.2 trillion cubic feet, PNOC-Exploration President Rozzano Briguez told a senate budget hearing.

"By the fourth quarter next year we can start drilling, and if we will be lucky, by 2026 or early 2027, production will start for SC 57," Briguez said.

The Malampaya gas field in western Philippine waters, outside the disputed areas in the South China Sea, supplies fuel to four power plants that deliver about a fifth of the country's electricity requirements.

Malampaya is projected to dry up by 2027, based on the latest energy department projection. In 2006, CNOOC acquired a 51% interest while Mitra Energy Ltd [now Jadestone] took 21% in the Calamian prospect, leaving PNOC Exploration with 28%, but the deed of assignments remained pending at Duterte's office.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in 2017 he had put forward the Calamian project to Duterte for approval. Last year Duterte issued an executive order removing the prohibition for PNOC to take in equity participants for its service contracts.

(Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz, Editing by Ed Davies)

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PNOC, CNOOC to Start Offshore Exploration Venture by 2021 - Offshore Engineer

Dive Brief:

BOEM is reviewing the Construction and Operation Plans (COP)for a number of projects in the Atlantic, which are contingent on the agency issuing its first Environmental Impact Statement for a large-scale offshore wind project in federal waters.

"I think there is a recognition that BOEM doesn't have all the resources to put out six or seven COPs at one time," particularly in the same wind energy areas,Geri Edens, counsel for Vineyard Wind, said on the panel.

But while staggering the permitting of the rest of the projects might make sense for BOEM, it is "not necessarily ideal for the industry, because everyone's been waiting for a while now to get these things forward," she said.

BOEM had pushed back its review of Vineyard Wind's Massachusetts construction plan for 1.5 years, deciding that permitting for offshore wind needed to be done in a more holistic capacity, including considerations for further expansion of the resource.

The delay has led other projects to revise their timelines, such as the 120 MW Skipjack Offshore Energy wind farm, which originally sought commercial operation as early as November 2022.

The bandwidth of BOEM will be stretched in January 2021 regardless of how the election turns out, experts say.

According to the Permitting Dashboard for Federal Infrastructure Projects produced by DOI and other agencies, federal permitting applications for Vineyard Wind and Deepwater Wind's South Fork Wind Farm are both in progress. BOEM has received COPs for 10 offshore wind projects to date.

South Fork's Draft Environmental Impact Statement is scheduled for publication by BOEM on Jan. 8, and would incorporate the analysis of future offshore wind development being conducted for Vineyard Wind.

Developers are waiting for BOEM to publish Notices of Intent (NOIs) about preparing individual Environmental Impact Statements for their respective project construction.

"The idea of staggering the NOIs sounds mildly apocalyptic," said Seth Kaplan, director of government and regulatory affairs for the offshore wind joint venture between Engie and EDP Renewables, Ocean Winds NA. On the panel, Kaplan said developers as well as communities have been counting on construction starting on a certain timeline, expected to drive employment and other economic activity.

One solution, he said, would be contracting certain jobs so that NOIs can be issued more efficiently, whether funded by congressional appropriations or otherwise. BOEM needs "to be extremely rigorous" with what processes can be performed by contractors and how "the true experts who need to touch the decisions and need to make the ultimate determinations" are spending their time, he said.

Congress gave a $3 million bump to BOEM in the most recent federal budget, according to Claire Richer, AWEA federal affairs director.

But within BOEM,other industries such as offshore oil drilling, which is more well-established in the U.S., have already been appropriated funding, and it's unlikely that money can be re-allocated toward permitting for the more nascent offshore wind industry.While BOEM offshore wind lease auctions have been very lucrative, the money does not go directly to BOEM, but to the U.S. Treasury.

Whoever leads BOEM in 2021 will have their work cut out for them, experts agreed. "There's a lot of action that is needed immediately from day one" from DOI and BOEM political appointees, Kaplan said.

The efforts and agendas of those appointees will depend on the presidential election as well as the outcome of the Senate races, Richer said.

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BOEM needs staffing help with offshore wind permitting regardless of election results, experts say - Utility Dive