First U.S. offshore wind farm substation completed for Avangrid
As part of the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm, work concluded last week on an offshore substation at Avangrid’s Vineyard Wind 1.
While the wind farm itself is still under construction, the substation will collect power produced by 62 wind turbine generators, which it will funnel to the mainland through two export cables running to Massachusetts. The wind farm is a first for the country, but the substation is also a record setter for the Iberdrola Group, which owns Avangrid as it is the company’s largest substation ever installed.
That substation consists of two main components: the topside and the jacket. It weighs in at more than 5,000 tons and put it all toward the collection and exporting of electricity generated by offshore turbines in a lease area to the onshore power grid.
“Offshore wind in the U.S. is one step closer to becoming a reality,” Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra said. “Our team’s dedication, expertise, and collaborative spirit have made this achievement possible and, by building pioneering projects like Avangrid’s Vineyard Wind 1, we remain committed to accelerating the energy transition to create a cleaner, more sustainable future in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in the U.S.”.
Vineyard Wind 1 should be operational before year’s end, at which point it will add 806 MW to the region’s grid – enough to power more than 400,000 homes and businesses.
