The winning bids for the Massachusetts offshore wind RfP totaled 1.6 GW

Massachusetts will obtain power from Mayflower Wind LLC and Vineyard Wind LLC's 1,600 MW offshore wind projects after selecting their bids as providing "the greatest overall value" to customers.

In May, the developers responded to a Request for Proposals (RFP). Their status as solicitation winners allows them to proceed to contract negotiations, according to the Massachusetts government. Following successful contract negotiations and regulatory approval, final contracts will be awarded.

With a plan that calls for over USD 42 million in economic development activities across the South Coast region, Mayflower Wind, a joint venture (JV) between Royal Dutch Shell Plc's Shell New Energies US LLC and Ocean Winds North America LLC, has secured 400 MW of capacity.

The concept also includes the development of an operations and maintenance (O&M) port at Fall River, in addition to turbine installation in the area south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Around 14,000 employment are expected to be created as a result of the project. It's expected to be finished in the mid-to-late-2020s.

Mayflower Wind submitted one of three proposals for the RfP, the largest of which was a 1,200-MW plant. The company plans to begin developing the government lease area and pursue more energy contracts until the full 2,000 MW lease capacity is realized, according to the corporation.

Vineyard Wind LLC, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), secured 1,200 MW with a larger version of its Commonwealth Wind project. The company also proposed an 800-MW variation.

Commonwealth Wind will be built next to the 800-MW Vineyard Wind 1 and 804-MW Park City Wind projects in a nearby area.

In order to meet its 2050 net-zero pledge, Massachusetts plans to contract 5,600 MW of offshore wind turbine capacity by 2027. The RfP was the company's third procurement exercise in support of the goal.

This is part of our Global Project Tracker Services. For more details about our services, get in touch here.