Seatrium to Deliver Platforms for Empire Offshore Wind on US East Coast
Singapore-based Seatrium has secured a contract with Empire Offshore Wind, a 50:50 venture between Equinor and BP, to deliver two substations to wind energy projects off the coast of New York.
The contract, worth more than US$500 million, involves the engineering, procurement, construction, offshore hook-up and commissioning of the platforms for the Empire Wind 1 and 2 offshore wind farms, located 15-30 miles south of Long Island.
Seatrium, formerly Sembcorp Marine, said the contract was won through its subsidiary Sembcorp Marine Offshore Platforms. SMOP was awarded the front-end engineering and design contract for the same project last year.
Construction work on the 810-MW Empire Wind 1 platform at Seatrium’s Singapore and Indonesian yards is slated to begin in this year’s fourth quarter, and on the 1,260-MW Empire Wind 2 platform in the first half of 2024.
Following completion, the platforms will be operated by Equinor.
“We would like to thank Empire Wind for their confidence in awarding us the turnkey construction of the two OSS Platforms for the Empire Wind 1 and 2 Wind Farms,” said Samuel Wong, executive vice president and head of SMOP.
“Leveraging the combined capabilities and synergies of our Group, we are committed to working in close partnership with the Empire Wind team to achieve high standards of safety, quality, sustainability and performance, as well as execution excellence and the timely delivery of both OSS Platforms.”
The 2.1-GW Empire 1 and 2 projects, spread across 80,000 acres, are calling for the installation of 138 wind turbines, with first power expected to be delivered in the mid-2020s. BP and Equinor formed their strategic partnership in late 2020 to develop offshore wind projects in the US, as both firms seek to pivot away from oil and gas towards renewables.
Once online the facilities are expected to power more than 1 million homes.
Seatrium is already building a dedicated wind turbine installation vessel for Maersk Supply Service that will also be deployed at Empire 1 and 2. The ship is slated to arrive in US waters in 2025.
Seatrium, Equinor and BP are members of the Breakbulk Global Shipper Network, a worldwide network of companies and executives involved in the engineering, manufacturing and production of project cargo. Members of the network will get the opportunity to meet in person in the BGSN Lounge at Breakbulk Europe 2023, taking place on 6-8 June at Rotterdam Ahoy. To reserve your tickets to the exhibition, click here.
Photo TOP: Sembcorp Marine substations being delivered to the Hornsea Two offshore wind project in the UK’s North Sea. CREDIT: Sembcorp Marine.
