US Wind begins surveys offshore Maryland

US Wind has kicked off oceanographic survey activities within the lease area offshore Maryland where it plans to build its MarWin offshore wind project.

The team will be collecting data until July to inform project design, including foundation type, turbine location, and cable burial routes.

The geophysical survey operations will be conducted along a tartan-pattern survey grid by marine research vessels R/V Brooks McCall and the R/V Miss Emma McCall, operated by TDI Brooks.

US Wind said it has also committed to minimizing impacts on marine life during the survey operations.

Expert observers will be aboard each vessel to monitor the presence of protected species, such as the North Atlantic Right Whale, and ensure that appropriate measures are taken to protect these species, the company said.

“These seabed surveys are an important next step in our commitment to providing Maryland with clean, renewable energy,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “Data collected will ensure safe and long-term operations and performance of our offshore wind facilities.”

US Wind holds the rights for the Maryland Wind Energy Area under a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) lease of approximately 80,000 ha, located 16 to 48 km off the coast of Maryland.

The company was awarded Offshore Renewable Energy Credits (ORECs) in 2017 for the first phase of the MarWin project.

The first phase will have an installed capacity of 270 MW, anticipated to come online in 2024. In total, the lease area can support approximately 1,500 MW of offshore wind capacity.