NEW YORK – Empire Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Equinor and bp, awarded a contract to a  consortium between GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions and BOND Civil & Utility Construction to supply a digital onshore substation for Empire Wind 1, one of New York’s first offshore wind farm projects.

New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality.

Empire Wind 1 is planned for an area of 80,000 acres in federal waters, an average of 20 miles south of Long Island, east of the Rockaways. Once operational, it will power more than 500,000 New York homes.

Under the EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) contract, the GE-BOND consortium led by GE’s Grid Solutions will be responsible for delivering the onshore substation and interconnection cable in Brooklyn, New York City, as well as designing and supplying the HV electrical systems for the offshore substation.

Engaged with Equinor since the Pre-FEED phase (Pre- Front End Engineering Design), GE’s AC Systems Group coordinated the implementation of digital substations including advanced digital monitoring, controls, and software systems, GE will provide the critical connection and power balance needed between the offshore wind farm and the point of interconnection to the NY electrical grid. BOND Civil & Utility will be responsible for all aspects of construction of the onshore substation and interconnection cable, site restoration, and high voltage electric equipment installation for the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) substation. Development of the onshore and offshore substations will start this year, with construction expected to begin during the second half of 2023.

GE’s Grid Solutions and BOND Civil and Utility plan to open a project office in Brooklyn, NYC that will host the complete project teams. GE and BOND are also committed to give opportunities to New York-based suppliers and contractors to be part of this exciting project.

The Brooklyn terminal will serve as a hub for Equinor and bp’s Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects that will supply 3.3 gigawatts (GWs) of energy—enough to power nearly two million New York homes.  The complex will be transformed into a major staging and assembly facility for the industry, as well as a long-term operations and maintenance base. Equinor recently announced a New York project office located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, opposite the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.

Source: GE’s Grid Solutions