Skipjack is a 966 MW capacity off shore wind farm, proposed by Ørsted US Offshore Wind to be built on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Delaware, approximately 16.9 nautical miles (31.3 km; 19.4 mi) from the coast opposite Fenwick Island.[1] It was originally projected that the project, which will provide power to Maryland, would be commissioned in 2022,[2][3][4][5] [6] It is one of the wind farm projects providing wind power to Maryland, the others being MarWin and Momentum Wind.[7][8]
| Skipjack | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | WEA OCS-A 0519 Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Delaware |
| Coordinates | 38°33′54″N 74°46′44″W / 38.565°N 74.779°W |
| Status | Proposed |
| Owner | Ørsted US Offshore Wind |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | Offshore |
| Distance from shore | 19 miles (31 km) |
| Rotor diameter | 720 feet (220 meters) |
| Power generation | |
| Make and model | Haliade-X 12 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 966 MW |
| External links | |
| Website | Ørsted US Offshore Wind |
The initial phase would produce 120 MW. A second project phase was approved by Maryland regulators in December 2021 to have an additional 846 MW. Both will be developed together.[9]
WEA
editThe project will be built in BOEM-designated Wind Energy Area (WEA) OCS-A 0519,[10] an area of 26,332 acres (10,656 ha)[3] approximately 16.9 nautical miles or 19.5 miles (31.4 km) off the Delaware coast between Indian River Outlet opposite Fenwick Island, north of the Maryland WEA.
Infrastructure
editSkipjack will use 10 GE Wind Energy Haliade-X 12 MW turbines, 853 feet (260 m) feet tall with rotors 720 feet (220 m) long (with blades each 351 feet (107 m) long), made in Cherbourg, France. The nacelles are also produced in France.[11][12]
Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind will partner with Tradepoint Atlantic, based in Port of Baltimore, to develop a logistics center to create a 50-acre staging center for on-land assembly, storage and loading out into deep waters.[13]
The Port of Paulsboro on the Delaware River in New Jersey could become the site for the production the monopile foundations for turbines.[14]
Ørsted proposed using 1.5 acres of land in Fenwick Island State Park in Delaware as a transmission point,[15] but locals opposed park upgrades to be paid for by the project.[6]
ORECs
editThe Maryland Public Service Commission has authorized ORECs (offshore wind renewable energy certificates) for both Skipjack and MarWin.[16][17][18] ORECs for the second phase were approved in 2021.[9]
Visibility from shore
editResidents and business, particularly in Ocean City, Maryland, have raised concerns about the potential of negative impact of building a wind farm offshore, thus creating a landscape that could affect tourism.[19] The turbines have changed in size since the initial proposal by the predecessor of Orsted. They will be 853 feet (260 m) feet tall.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Swann, Sara (October 25, 2018). "Delaware's involvement in offshore wind energy remains uncertain". Delmarva Daily Times.
- ^ "Skipjack - Offshore Wind Farm Project | 4C Offshore". www.4coffshore.com.
- ^ a b "Bureau of Ocean Energy Management". www.boem.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ^ Rentsch, Julia (November 19, 2019). "Taller, more distant turbines put Ocean City offshore wind projects back under state review". Delmarva Daily Times.
- ^ "Maryland PSC Gives Go-Ahead to US Wind, Deepwater Wind Projects". Offshore Wind. May 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Howell, Jordan (2021-04-15). "This Coastal Delaware Wind Farm Awaits a 2026 Debut". Delaware Today. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
- ^ Milligan, Carley (January 23, 2019). "Maryland offshore wind developers look to partner with local businesses". Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
- ^ Cox, Erin (July 23, 2019). "Maryland's slow-going offshore wind project advances". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b Fine, Ariana (2022-02-21). "Skipjack Wind 2 Chosen as Second Offshore Wind Project in MD". North American Windpower. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
- ^ "Delaware Activities | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management".
- ^ Kellner, Tomas (2019-09-19). "The Coast With The Most: Two New U.S. Offshore Wind Farms Will Use The World's Most Powerful Turbines". GE Reports. Retrieved 2019-09-28.
- ^ a b Eichmann, Mark (October 2, 2019). "Skyscrapers in the sea: Wind turbines, 853 feet tall, planned off Delaware coast". WHYY.
- ^ Gheorghiu, Iulia (July 24, 2019). "Ørsted to develop offshore wind manufacturing hub to service East Coast". Utility Dive.
- ^ Stromsta, Karl-Erik (July 3, 2019). "Orsted and Germany's EEW Plan Offshore Wind Factory in New Jersey". www.greentechmedia.com. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Lauria, Maddy (October 2, 2019). "Offshore wind company wants to build on state parkland, offering upgrades in exchange". delawareonline.
- ^ "Maryland PSC Awards ORECS to Two Offshore Wind Developers" (PDF) (Press release). Maryland Public Service Commission. May 11, 2017.
- ^ "PSC Awards ORECs to US Wind, Skipjack Energy" (Press release). Maryland Public Service Commission. May 11, 2017.
- ^ "Offshore Wind". energy.maryland.gov.
- ^ Soper, Shawn (October 31, 2019). "10/31/2019 | Wind Turbine Size Changes Could Jeopardize Approvals; Agency Seeks PSC Review | News Ocean City MD". News Ocean City Maryland Coast Dispatch Newspaper.