Prysmian Group buys parcel for manufacturing facility for Commonwealth Wind project

Prysmian Group has acquired a 47-acre parcel at the former Brayton Point coal plant in Somerset, Mass., to build a facility for the manufacturing of offshore wind components.

The $200 million Prysmian Group facility will be part of Avangrid Renewables’ 1,232-Megawatt (MW) Commonwealth Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. Prysmian will manufacture subsea transmission cables to bring the clean power generated by offshore wind to the electrical grid.

“Avangrid is proud to be at the forefront of the offshore wind industry’s growth, as we plan to invest over $10 billion to build our portfolio of more than 2,400 megawatts to serve New England customers,” Dennis Arriola, Avangrid CEO, said. “Our Commonwealth Wind project represents the full potential of a clean energy future – abundant, affordable energy, thousands of local jobs and transformational economic development, the creation of a diverse and equitable workforce, and a brighter future for historic industrial communities.”

Brayton Point is a former 1,600 MW coal-fired power plant decommissioned in 2017. Avangrid and Prysmian Group identified the site as ideal for local offshore wind manufacturing due to its waterfront industrial location and large acreage.

“We are very pleased with the progress of our project to build a new plant in Brayton Point,” commented Hakan Ozmen, EVP projects business at Prysmian Group, said. “I would like to extend particular thanks to the Massachusetts state government for its attention to this important project, which will make it possible to convert the area home to the former Somerset coal plant to production in support of the energy transition in the USA.”

Commonwealth Wind was selected by the state of Massachusetts in December 2021 through its competitive procurement process for offshore wind power. It is the largest offshore wind project in New England and will create 11,000 full-time equivalent jobs and generate enough energy to power 750,000 homes annually.

“The Commonwealth has taken aggressive, nation leading steps in our effort to secure cost-effective offshore wind energy that contributes to our goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and provides critical energy reliability,” Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said. “The construction of the Prysmian Groups new facility at Brayton Point will have considerable positive impacts on the state, the regional workforce, and local economies, and we are pleased to join so many partners here today to celebrate this milestone.”

In addition to the Brayton Point facility, Commonwealth Wind will establish a second offshore wind port in Salem Harbor.

“In developing the Commonwealth Wind project, our team is tremendously proud to deliver Massachusetts’ first offshore wind manufacturing facility and realize the dream of long-term manufacturing jobs on the South Coast,” Bill White, president and CEO of Avangrid Renewables Offshore, said. “By working with an industry leading partner in Prysmian, this partnership is a great example of how we can transform 20th Century infrastructure into clean energy hubs for the future to serve as anchors for long term jobs and investment.”