Equinor and BP proceed with offshore wind port at Sustainable South Brooklyn Marine Terminal

Following their success in securing almost 2.5GW in New York’s offshore wind tender, Equinor and BP are proceeding with plans to redevelop the state’s South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) and the Port of Albany, creating a major regional hub for the offshore wind industry.

The two companies formally signed the agreement this week with terminal operator Sustainable South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SSBMT) and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). In a statement, they said they plan to transform SBMT into a world-class offshore wind port “capable of staging and assembling the largest, most sophisticated offshore wind technology components for the Empire Wind and 1230MW Beacon Wind 1 Beacon Wind 1 (1230MW) Offshoreoff Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA, North America Click to see full details projects and for the growing US offshore industry on the east coast.”

Including the 816MW Empire Wind 1 Empire Wind 1 (816MW) Offshoreoff Long Island , New York, USA, North America Click to see full details project, Equinor and BP will co-own 3.3GW off New York. The projects are key building blocks “to accelerate profitable growth in renewables and Equinor’s ambition to install 12-16 GW of renewables capacity by 2030”.

At 73.1 acres, SBMT will be one of the largest dedicated offshore wind port facilities in the US. It will be the only industrial waterfront site in the New York City area with the capacity to accommodate wind turbine generator staging and assembly activities at the scale required by component manufacturers.

First steps

To kick-off, Equinor and BP plan to spend $200 –250 million in infrastructure upgrades to create an operations and maintenance hub and staging area at SBMT. They will also develop SBMT as a low-emissions facility. As well as serving its planned 3.3GW portfolio, they said the port will become a “go-to destination for future offshore wind projects in the region”. The developments are anticipated to support over one thousand jobs annually in the region.

“Equinor and BP are ready and eager to invest in the revitalisation of SBMT, an historic port that will soon become a major part of New York’s energy future,” said Siri Espedal Kindem, president of Equinor Wind U.S. “New York has shown unflagging determination to become a focal point of the region’s offshore wind industry, and this agreement offers tangible evidence that this vision is quickly coming to life.”

Felipe Arbelaez, BP’s senior vice president for zero carbon energy, highlighted the employment opportunities the project will generate. He said: “We are…advancing economic recovery and increasing diversity in waterfront construction, by helping local minority- and women-owned business enterprises benefit from the growing offshore wind industry and take advantage of the green jobs of the future.”

Equinor recently announced the opening of the New York offshore wind project office, adjacent to SBMT, to serve as the hub for Equinor and BP’s regional offshore wind activities. The office will also be home to an offshore wind learning center that will provide New Yorkers an opportunity to learn about this growing new industry.