RWE targets US offshore wind with National Grid tie-up

RWE Renewables has agreed to team with utility National Grid to jointly develop offshore wind farms off the north-east US coast, and enter the upcoming New York Bight seabed lease auction.

The partners will work together to explore opportunities in the growing US offshore wind market.

They will target the upcoming lease sale for the New York Bight – between New York and New Jersey – which the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to hold in late 2021 or early 2022.

New York aims to have 9GW of operational offshore wind capacity by 2035. Meanwhile, the US is targeting to have 30GW of operational offshore wind capacity online by 2030.

The partners will offer different areas of expertise to the collaboration.

RWE has helped to develop 3.3GW of operational offshore wind farms, and is involved in a further 9.9GW pipeline in Europe, according to Windpower Intelligence, the research and data division of Windpower Monthly. This near-10GW offshore wind pipeline also includes a 12MW demonstration project off Maine in the US.

Meanwhile, National Grid will bring local knowledge and experience in developing large-scale infrastructure projects, including subsea cable capabilities from its portfolio of interconnectors between the UK and Europe.

Sven Utermöhlen, chief operating officer of global offshore wind at RWE Renewables, said: “While we are an established presence in the US with our onshore wind, solar and storage activities, this partnership will support RWE’s plans to realise a sizeable position in the offshore wind space.”