Northern California energy authority RCEA and a consortium of private companies, including Aker Solutions and Principle Power, have submitted a lease application to advance the first commercial scale project for floating offshore wind in the United States.
The application for the offshore wind energy development off the coast of Humboldt county in Northern California has been submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
In April this year, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) selected a consortium which includes Aker Solutions, Principle Power and EDPR Offshore to enter into a public-private partnership to pursue the development of the proposed project.
The 100-150 megawatt (MW) floating offshore wind farm is planned to be located more than 30 kilometers off the coast of Eureka and expected online in 2024. The objective is to help unlock the extraordinary value of offshore wind energy for California.
Broad expertise
Aker Solutions' proven track record in floating systems, subsea umbilicals and power cables and offshore power systems, allows for a wind offering that covers the entire lifecycle of a floating offshore wind farm. This includes planning, installation, commissioning, operations and maintenance services.
Together, the project partners bring the expertise needed to develop, finance and operate the project as well as build an offshore wind energy supply chain.
"We are extremely excited about this project and are committed to being part of a sustainable solution to the world's increasing energy needs," said Luis Araujo, chief executive officer of Aker Solutions. "Together with our partners we are optimistic that this opportunity will develop into a flagship project for the offshore floating wind industry."
RCEA and the consortium have been working with members of the community since 2017 to explore and develop the offshore wind potential of Humboldt County. They have engaged in a comprehensive process to determine a location for the offshore site that minimizes the impact on the environment and communities that are active offshore.
