Page 42: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2021)

MARKETS OFFSHORE WIND 2021 Will Be a ‘Step-change’ for U.S.

Offshore Wind Industry

Watch the interview with

By Bartolomej Tomic

Philip Lewis on MR TV @: bit.ly/2YyaKdH espite being the second-largest global market Further, Lewis said, there is a medium-term pipeline of for onshore wind, the United States is today 15 projects for close to 15.5GW located within secured a very minor player in comparison to the Eu- federal leases and are in the site assessment phase, known ropean and East Asian offshore wind markets, as the SAP stage, and a further group of six projects at

D however, this is about to change. early stage planning for nearly 2.7GW. These projects are

Philip Lewis, Director of Research, World Energy Re- underpinned by state procurements, either already com- ports said in an interview with Maritime Reporter TV, that mitted or planned.

2021 is expected to be a “step-change” for the U.S. Off- shore wind industry.

Longer-term: New York, California,

But ? rst, where are we today? Per Lewis, the U.S. current-

Hawaii, and even Louisiana ly has only two operational projects for a total of 42MW of

According to Lewis, longer-term, a clear pipeline will installed capacity versus a global offshore installed base of come from projects coming from future offshore leases 34,000MW or 34GW by the end of 2020. However, things from the New York Bight on the Atlantic Coast, Humboldt are expected to accelerate from 2021 onwards.

and Morro Bay off California, Oahu North and South off “At World Energy Reports, we are forecasting that 2021 Hawaii and later Oregon in the Paci? c and even Louisiana will deliver a step-change in offshore wind activity in the in the Gulf of Mexico. Per EIA, Louisiana ranks among

US as the journey accelerates to develop the 27GW project the top 10 states in both crude oil reserves and crude oil pipeline within this decade,” Lewis said.

production, accounting for about 1% of both U.S. total oil

One project, Ohio’s Great Lakes 21MW Icebreaker, is reserves and production.

already approved and addressing ? nal challenges, he added.

The areas mentioned above are subject to federal prepa- “Short to medium term activity will be delivered by 11 ratory activities in advance to lease activities and will drive

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic projects that are seeking fed- project activity in the 2030’s.

eral construction permits, known as the COP stage, for ~9GW,” Lewis said.

Investment of $86 Billion -

He also said that, at World Energy Reports, there is a 2,000+ wind turbines belief that President Joe Biden’s last week’s executive order

The 27GW Atlantic Coast pipeline calls for over $86bn will provide an impetus to accelerating the federal proj- ect environmental impact assessments and construction of CAPEX and a recurring annual OPEX of $2.5bn a year once delivered.

approval process for these imminent projects that will, in

The 2,000 plus wind turbines forecast to be manufac- turn, drive the developing Made in America domestic sup- tured represent the single largest CAPEX forecast, covering ply chain and support local jobs.

$35bn of wind turbine component supply.

Biden last week signed an executive order instructing the

Of this amount, some $2.6bn forecast CAPEX will be

Secretary of the Interior to identify steps that can be tak- needed to manufacture the towers sitting on top of the en to double renewable energy production from offshore foundation monopile or jacket transition pieces that sup- wind by 2030.

42 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • February 2021

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