Belgian offshore installation contractor DEME Offshore, has through its U.S. subsidiary DEME Offshore US LLC, secured a contract for the installation of offshore wind turbine foundations for the Vineyard Wind 1 project in the U.S.
Vineyard Wind 1, operated by Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), will be the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States. It will consist of 62 wind turbines and will generate 800 megawatts of electricity annually and power over 400,000 homes.
“We’re pleased to work with DEME on another facet of our Vineyard Wind 1 project because they understand the need to train the US workforce so that we can meet the demands of this growing industry,” said Vineyard Wind CEO, Lars T. Pedersen. “With this contractor in place, we can now build on the goals laid out in our Project Labor Agreement and lay the foundation for the good-paying US jobs that will carry our industry forward.”
This is not the first contract DEME Offshore has secured with Vineyard Wind. In April 2021, Vineyard Wind contracted DEME for the offshore transport and installation of the wind turbine generators for the project.
Under the new contract, announced Monday, DEME will now handle the transportation and installation of the monopile foundations, transition pieces, and scour protection for the wind turbine foundations, as well as the offshore electrical substation foundation and platform.
As for the value of the contract, DEME Offshore said: "This represents a substantial contract. “Substantial” refers to a contract with a value of EUR 150-300 million."
Opportunity for U.S. workers
“DEME Offshore US LLC is proud of this achievement, not only about the award of another significant scope of work for the project, but also about the agreement with the unions, said Jan Klaassen, Director DEME Offshore US LLC. “DEME Offshore US LLC has always promoted cooperation with local companies and local people, we believe in the success of bringing people from different backgrounds and expertise together in one team. We will deploy highly specialized vessels and crews with huge experience in offshore wind and in the same time providing opportunities for American labor force to become involved in this fascinating business; constructing sustainable offshore energy production for US future energy mix.”.
As a part of the recently signed Project Labor Agreement, Vineyard Wind 1 and DEME Offshore said they would work together with the local unions and trades to provide training in this new industry.
"The goal is to have U.S. workers play an increasing role on a variety of scopes of work during the construction of the project," DEME Offshore said.
Sid Florey, president of DEME Offshore US LLC: "It has been a pleasure to work together with the local unions and trades. We are also engaging intensively now with local US companies who can act as our suppliers and vendors. We look forward cooperating with all the stakeholders in the realization of this first large-scale offshore wind project in US waters. This project will form a cornerstone for the growth of offshore wind industry in the US, where DEME Offshore US will play a significant role together with its US partners”
Vineyard Wind reached a financial close in September 2021 and will begin delivering electricity to Massachusetts in 2023.