“Vineyard Wind has withdrawn its construction and operation plans from the federal permitting process, suddenly throwing the future into limbo for the international consortium that has been at the front of the pack in the race to build offshore wind farms off the American eastern seaboard.”
– Noah Asimow | The Vineyard Gazette, December 14, 2020.
" ... The proposed $2.8 billion Vineyard Wind project (is) in federal waters off the shore of Bedford, Massachusetts.
In August 2019, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) pushed the stop button, requesting more information on the “cumulative impacts” for offshore wind turbine projects in the area.
... the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) expected to release a final environmental impact statement by January 15, 2021, five days before President Trump leaves office.
Now Vineyard Wind appears to be betting on the Biden administration for a fresh start.
... Contract for transport and installation of 84 turbine foundations, monopiles (Heerema Marine Contractors), is Dutch.
Vineyard Wind will likely create cable manufacturing jobs in China.
... There is no doubt that international contractors are plundering the USA taxpayers through subsidies, grants, loan guarantees, and tax preferment.
Kudos to Barbara Durkin, a longtime offshore fighter, for additionally outlining the magnitude of cable problems. Obvious is the US’s failure to observe European offshore cabling issues.
Wed, 08/08/2018
“The cable is fully armored and insulated,” said Block Island Power
Company President Jeffery Wright. “That doesn’t take away that to stand
on top of it is a little unnerving. Be respectful of it.”
https://www.blockislandtimes.com/article/cable-exposed-near-shoreline/52989#.W2xCGf3w8Do.twitter
DeepWater Wind’s ongoing cable problems have frustrated the state of
RI Agency CRMC with purview over cabling for the 5 wind turbines. As
reported 10/18/18, CRMC demands, “engineering solutions for dealing with
the cable on a long-term basis.”
https://www.blockislandtimes.com/article/town-demands-long-term-solution-cable-issues/53442
SUBSEA CABLES GUARANTEED TO FAIL-
Cable problems, (more than 70% of wind project insurance claims),
repair average cost is U.S. $6,450,630.08. ( conversion € 5 million).
https://www.offshorewind.biz/events/offshore-cabling-2017/
“Cable failures are one of the main risks affecting offshore wind
operations because they can shut down an (important part of an) offshore
wind farm for a duration of months..”
https://www.dnvgl.com/news/offshore-wind-industry-joins-forces-to-reduce-costs-of-cable-failures-117811
‘Industry must face up to growing cable failures’
“Operational failures now make up about 80% in value of all
cable-related claims, a delegate from the insurance industry claimed…”
https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1428525/industry-face-growing-cable-failures
“Offshore transmission has proved to be challenging and costly in
Europe, and will present additional challenges in the US because of the
lack of domestic manufacturers of high-voltage, high-capacity submarine
cable, and lack of equipment for and…”
https://electrical-engineering-portal.com/offshore-wind-farms-transmission-cables
‘Damage to Subsea Cables a Huge Risk to Offshore Wind Farms’
“Among other issues with offshore wind farms, one of the biggest
problems to affect the industry are issues with subsea cables. Failures
and issues during installation and maintenance…”
https://pmiind.com/damage-to-subsea-cables-a-huge-risk-to-offshore-wind-farms/
“the cost of the UK’s high voltage export cable failures; this
comprises both the cost of repairs and the cost of lost wind farm
production. The estimated total cost is about £160m, or nearly £170k for
every km of high voltage export cable..”
https://ore.catapult.org.uk/app/uploads/2018/02/Export-Cable-Reliability-Step-1-v7-UPDATE-Jul-17.pdf
‘Thanet offshore wind project cable failure-‘
https://www.4coffshore.com/windfarms/project-dates-for-thanet-uk29.html
“U.S. IGNORES EXPENSIVE MISTAKES MADE IN EUROPE” …and cabling brings its own environmental consequences as well. Repairs, require more intrusive actions on sea beds, and dangers of escaping pollution to aquatic life.