Daily Archives: October 16, 2019

Having won nearly 5 gigawatts of orders for its Haliade-X offshore wind turbines over the past month, GE is thinking about where its next production facilities will be built and the U.S. looks like a prime candidate.

For us, I think its inevitable eventually to do something locally, Derek Stilwell, commercial leader for North American offshore wind at GE Renewable Energy, said Friday in New York.

A GE spokesperson later clarified that Stilwell was talking about the broader supply chain bringing investment to the U.S., and not GE specifically.*

"It's prematureto talk about whether GE will bring additional U.S. manufacturing capacity to the U.S. until the market matures and the company signs additional agreements to supply turbines," the spokesperson said.

For years, offshore wind executives have said the U.S. needed a larger pipeline of projects to warrant a local turbine factory. Europes mature supply chain is expected to provide many of the most valuable components for the first wave of American projects.

But with a 25-gigawatt pipeline now in play in U.S. waters, and numerous East Coast states having made significant commitments to offshore wind, the conversation about local factories is taking on a new light.

Local-content requirements for offshore wind projects can push up prices, Stilwell said, speaking at an event hosted by the American Wind Energy Association. But local factories can also help to offset the cost of transporting huge offshore wind equipment across the Atlantic Ocean.

GE, a relative newcomer to the offshore wind business, currently operates two factories for the market, both in France. The company has a nacelle plant in Saint-Nazaire, at the mouth of the Loire River, where it recently completed the first hub for its 12-megawatt Haliade-X model. And it has an offshore blade plant in Cherbourg, along the English Channel.

In July, GE announced plans to build a new offshore wind factory in Chinas Guangdong province, expected to be up and running in late 2021.

Theres a window right now where the existing capacity can serve [demand], Stilwell said. But increasing demand in Europe, increasing demand in Asia and the demand here in the U.S. mean that eventually well need to build additional capacity.

Last month, GE landed the first orders for its Haliade-X platform, with rsted planning to deploy 1,200 megawatts of the turbines at its Ocean Wind and Skipjack projects off Maryland and New Jersey between 2022 and 2024.

Less than two weeks later, GE announced another 3.6-gigawatt order for a trio of projects known as Dogger Bank in the U.K., developed by Equinor and SSE Renewables.

GEs decisions on future factory locations will be driven by the orders we get, Stilwell said. What were seeing now is the first large orders signed [in the U.S.], which means we need to support the developers in meeting their local-content commitments.

Well move as fast as we can in the next phase, as costs permit.

GE is not the only offshore turbine supplier to have won a big order in the U.S. market. Vineyard Wind chose MHI Vestas for its 800-megawatt project off Massachusetts, while rsted handed Siemens Gamesa a 1.7-gigawatt order for three projects set to deliver power into New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

rsted, the worlds leading offshore wind developer, has committed to helping German foundation manufacturerEEW establish a factoryin Paulsboro, New Jersey, as part of its winning bid for a 1.1-gigawatt project in the state.

GE makes nacelles for onshore wind turbines in Pensacola, Florida, in addition to operating several blade factories in the central U.S.

The company reentered the offshore wind market through its 2015 acquisition of Alstom's power and grids businesses. Despite the recent flurry of big orders for theHaliade-X, GE lags far behind Siemens Gamesa and MHI Vestas in terms of installed capacity and committed orders.

*Story and headline are updated based on clarification from GE.

See original here:

GE: Inevitable That Offshore Wind Manufacturing Comes to the US - Greentech Media News

MUMBAI: An ongoing probe against Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal has revealed that the grounded carrier entered into illegal agreements with related offshore parties based in tax havens at rates way above market prices, causing losses to the airline as well as the national exchequer, said people aware of the matter. They said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has gathered details of the offshore entities, with which Jet Airways and its group companies entered into lease and maintenance and general sales agent (GSA) agreements, on the basis of information shared by the Toronto-based Egmont Group an international network of 164 financial intelligence units formed for the purpose of combating money laundering as well as terror financing.

The Jet Airways founder and his wife, Anita, were questioned earlier this month on the basis of information shared by the Egmont Group, of which India is a member, according to the people. They said the couple was questioned in connection with alleged violations of the foreign exchange law in an equity deal with Jet Privilege Private Ltd (JPPL), which operated the airlines loyalty and rewards programme.

FEMA ViolationThe probe has revealed that Jet Airways entered into related-party transactions, with most of the entities being ghost companies floated only for the purpose of creating fake transactions and thereby acting as a conduit to divert funds to tax havens or countries that have a liberal tax regime, an official told ET on condition of anonymity. This clearly amounts to violation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) as fake invoices were floated and the monies that should have come to India were routed abroad.

Goyal was not reachable for comment.

He had stepped down as chairman of Jet Airways in March and the carrier ceased operations in April, after it ran out of cash. Jet Airways is currently undergoing resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

In the GSA matter, there are alleged irregularities in transactions between Jet Airways and its Dubai-based group firms, said another person. The airline was found to be paying commissions every year to its general sales agent in Dubai which was also part of a group unit. These may have been aimed at evading taxes to the tune of Rs 800 crore.

Investigators have also found that Jet Airways leased aircraft from ghost offshore companies and paid lease rentals to these companies, which in turn diverted the funds to accounts linked to Goyal, alleged a third official.

Besides, the ED has summoned Goyals alleged aide, Hasmukh Gardi, a non-resident Indian based in Dubai, and has asked him to join the probe. On August 23, the agency had carried out raids at multiple locations, including the residence and offices of the Goyals. It had also carried out raids at the premises of Gardi, who allegedly invested in Goyals Isle of Man-based Tail Winds Corporation, which had controlled all the financial activities of Jet Airways. He played a key role in the case and therefore his questioning is necessary to connect the dots, said an official.

In a related development, while probing the alleged FEMA violations by Jet Airways and its group companies, the ED stumbled upon cases of foreign exchange law violations by Gardis relatives and has summoned them in these cases, said officials. They said these cases are not linked to the probe against Jet Airways.

The probe into Gardis accounts is said to have revealed that he is a shareholder of British Virgin Islands-based entity, Hanbury Global Limited. A considerable amount of funds have been parked in tax havens. Gardis accounts in BVI are among them, said an official.

Gardi is also suspected of having links with the underworld. According to information on the website of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Hanbury Globals intermediary is Mossack Fonseca & Co (UK) Ltd. An intermediary is a go-between for someone seeking an offshore corporation and an offshore service provider, usually a law firm or a middleman that asks an offshore service provider to create an offshore firm for a client.

Meanwhile, multiple revenue and enforcement agencies are probing Jet Airways for alleged irregularities. Other than the ED and the Income Tax department, the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) is investigating the airline for alleged violations of the Companies Act. The ministrys regional office concluded in a May report that several transactions were of a suspicious nature. These agencies suspect that the airline siphoned off more than Rs 8,000 crore through fictitious contracts.

While the current case pertains to the JPPL deal, the ED has confronted Goyal with documents related to 19 privately held companies, of which 14 are registered in India and five abroad, said the people cited earlier.

Based on a request by the MCA, a lookout circular was issued against Naresh Goyal and his wife Anita to ensure that they did not leave the country while the investigations were on. Following this, they were taken off a Dubai-bound plane in Mumbai on May 26.

Link:

Jet formed illegal pacts with related offshore parties - Economic Times

A series of accidents and fatal events in the North Sea were catalysts for the formation of the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee (Oilc) 30 years ago.

In the months preceding it, 167 men lost their lives in the Piper Alpha disaster an incident which still reverberates through the sector to this day.

Just a day prior to Piper was a gas explosion on the Brent Alpha platform, and two months following it was a fatal gas blowout on the Ocean Odyssey rig which cost the life of a 25-year-old man.

Then on New Years Day 1989 there was another gas explosion, this time on the Brent Delta platform.

All of these led to the formation of Oilc in 1989, a group to bring unions together to improve health and safety standards, becoming a union itself years later.

Many of those who would come to form its membership were involved in protests in Aberdeen early in 1989 outside the inquiry centre into Piper Alpha.

They brought banners urging the government to bring the men up now for the 30 bodies that had not been -and never were recovered from the North Sea.

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Oilc was established on July 6, 1989, with thousands of workers downing tools to mark the first anniversary of Piper Alpha with a series of unofficial strikes across the North Sea.

Twenty years later the group would be merged into the RMT union as its dedicated offshore branch.

Regional officer Jake Molloy, who was involved in those first sittings for Oilc, reflected on the first 30 years.

He said: The objective then was to bring about union collaboration it was never the intention to create a trade union it was to try to bring the trade unions to a single table and work together and to try and improve health and safety standards.

It was the year after Piper, the first anniversary on July 6, 1989 that we stopped work in recognition of the first anniversary.

Subsequently we started stopping work and sitting in for two days, then going to work for a couple days, and then stopping work again. That continued through the summer of 1989 and that was when Oilc, the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee, was born.

The groups logo is similar to and inspired by Solidarnosc a trade unionist movement in Poland led by former president Lech Walesa.

Margaret Thatcher supported the movement in Poland as it opposed communism, so thats was why we came up with the Oilc logo to fit with the Solidarnosc movement, Mr Molloy remarked.

Still in the wake of the 1986 oil price crash, workers had also been galvanised into action over health and safety as well as cuts to wages and conditions.

Mr Molloy said: There was a whole culmination of events which led to the complete stoppage of work in 1990 and then hundreds I think it was 700 ended up getting blacklisted and never worked offshore again.

Oilc produced a video to mark the first 30 years, dedicated to the workers who put their livelihoods on the line in pursuit of fairness, justice and a safer workplace.

Writing for Energy Voice in 2015, Oilc founder Ronnie McDonald described Piper Alpha as a wake-up call for the North Sea.

He added: The offshore workers insurrection over an 18-month period to late 1990 refocused minds of operators and employers and led to reinstatement of our confiscated pay and conditions, plus some extra.

The main focus of the industrial action wasnt pay at all. We believed that only united trade unions could be capable of protecting us against a repeat of the bad treatment of the previous decade.

In 2008 Oilc merged into RMT with more than 2,500 offshore members which has today swelled to around 5,000 members, encompassing a wider scope of energy activities.

The branch has members from a range of groups including contractors, offshore caterers, divers, drilling staff and others.

In recent years RMT Offshore has been vocal around the issue of offshore rotas fighting for a standardised rota of two weeks on, three weeks off (2:3).

It has been described as one of the top concerns of the workforce, with some operators moving to 3:3 amid the last oil downturn to cut costs.

Unions have condemned the move, with warnings it could have implications for safety and mental health.

RMT Offshore has also been seen in recent years supporting the families of victims of a series of helicopter crashes in the North Sea.

A total of 33 people have lost their lives in crashes since 2009 in the now grounded super puma model of helicopter in the sector.

A fatal accident inquiry is being prepared into one of those incidents which took place off Sumburgh in 2013.

Mr Molloy said that the union will continue to play an important role in offshore safety while acknowledging the work of those who helped set up Oilc three decades ago.

He added: I think we need to acknowledge what those guys did back then.

They had a major involvement in shaping the regulatory structure that we have today and they will continue to have input into that.

Read more:

Marking 30 years of the RMT 'Oilc' offshore union branch - News for the Oil and Gas Sector - Energy Voice

Oil and gas exploration regularly use powerful air guns shown to be harmful to marine lifeoff the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador without environmental monitoring, according to documents obtained by CBC News.

Federal regulations require the presence of wildlife observers whenever companies hunt for new fields in the province's multibillion-dollar offshore industry.

But when factors as frequent as fog, high seas or darkness make visual wildlife observation impossible, seismic ships are under no obligation to stop work.

"These operations very clearly have the potential to cause a lot of harm to a lot of marine wildlife, " said Sean Brillant, a senior conservation biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

"If they are doing exploration in the dark or at times when observers are incapable of making adequate surveillance of an area then they are almost definitely causing harm [to wildlife]."

In theory, regulations set by Fisheries and Oceans Canada require observers to ensure the area around any seismic ship is clear of all mammals and turtles before seismic tests can begin. Once a seismic survey has begun, operations will only be shut down if a threatened or endangered species is spotted.

Seismic surveys use powerful sound waves capable of penetrating the ocean floor to map oil and gas reserves.

Documents obtained from the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board indicate that in 2017 and 2018,surveys already underway were never suspended due toenvironmental concerns.

Those same reports show that, on occasions when observation was possible, more than 5,200 marine mammals were observed while seismic air guns were firing. Those animals were not reported as threatened or endangered species, so testing was not stopped.

Seismic surveys were temporarily postponed before beginning on 14 occasionswhen marine life was spotted near vessels before air guns started firing.

In Nova Scotia, during low-visibility conditionsall seismic vessels must use a second form of environmental monitoring, called passive acoustic monitoring (PAM), to detect the presence of marine mammals.

Those measures are not required in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 2017, no seismic companies in Newfoundland and Labrador used acoustic monitoring during work in oil exploration. In 2018, PAM was used by only one company, PGS, and on a voluntary basis.

Nova Scotia's oil and gas regulator, the C-NSOPB, says due to the presence of at-risk species of whales in the province's waters, "all vessels conducting seismic surveys in Nova Scotia waters during low visibility conditions are required to conduct PAM during operations."

The C-NLOPB declined an interview request from Radio-Canada. But in its own statement, it said "DFO has not identified any critical habitat"for at-risk marine mammals off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador that would require acoustic monitoring.

Stphanie Pieddesaux, a researcher with Merinov, a Quebec-based fisheries and aquaculture research centre, said, "Often, mitigation measures will be more lax because it isn't a critical habitat."

"But that doesn't keep an animal from entering that area," she added.

Lindy Weilgart, an adjunct professor at Dalhousie University, said there should be a marine mammal observers and passive acoustic monitoring, at the very minimum, at all times.

"We're bowing down to industry," she said.

Weilgart, who has studied the impact of sound pollution on marine environments for more than two decades, said seismic surveys are increasingly being seen to have "an ecosystem-wide impact."

"To my count, there's about 130 marine species that have had documented impacts from seismic air guns," Weilgart said. "That much is clear."

Pieddesaux said the most powerful air guns used for seismic surveys can harm mammals' body tissue and lead to animals becoming disoriented. She said the use of air guns can also have an impact on whales feeding and migratory patterns, even if seismic activity doesn't necessarily lead to to an animal being injured.

Visual observation aboard seismic vessels is also limited by the fact marine mammals spend most of their time below the surface of the water,she said.

Acoustic monitoring can't detect sea turtles and can only monitor whales that make vocalisations.

For visual and acoustic monitoring to be effective, Pieddesaux adds, observers must be well qualified and experienced. A Radio-Canada investigation revealed last month that unqualified workers are regularly conducting environmental monitoring aboard seismic ships.

Weilgart said that if Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore industry wants to reduce its environmental footprint, it needs to not only improve wildlife monitoring, but also start using exploration methods that are less harmful to the environment and that create less noise pollution.

"There are alternatives," she said.

"But since the petroleum boards and the regulators, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, are not insisting on them, they will not happen."

Read morefrom CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

More here:

Offshore oil exploration in N.L. often occurs without wildlife monitoring - CBC.ca

The leader of RMTs offshore branch believes it will continue to operate for at least another 30 years but must accept change is coming.

Oilc the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee is marking its first three decades this year and it too expects to play a role in the energy transition going forward.

The oil and gas industry has been under the spotlight as protest events take place globally to prevent climate change, with pressure on the sector to show its work moving to cleaner forms of energy.

Jake Molloy, regional officer for RMTs offshore branch, said the union will also endeavour to move with the times.

He said: Weve got to acknowledge that change is coming and weve got to change.

Thats why we called ourselves 30 years ago the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee, we didnt call ourselves the oil industry liaison committee.

We always envisaged a finite product depleting. That is to say oil and gas would end but there was a clean-up job to be done in terms of decommissioning and now, of course, weve got the technology, the potential to move into renewables, carbon capture and other areas.

The UK sector has a growing focus on decommissioning and renewables, while the Aberdeen region specifically could be key in deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS) at scale a process of storing harmful emissions in depleted underground oil and gas fields.

However as spending remains focussed on oil and gas, protests continue with figures like Greta Thunberg leading the charge.

Last month saw the largest climate strikes in history, with demonstrations around the world.

Meanwhile investors face pressure to prove their green credentials as institutions break ties with oil giants, such as the Royal Shakespeare Company ending its partnership with BP and the National Theatre with Shell earlier this month.

RMTs offshore branch expects to go on as the wider industries around the North Sea evolve.

Mr Molloy added: The offshore energy section of RMT will continue, I would say, for 30 years and more because we want to exploit all of our natural resources, whether that be what remains in terms of oil and gas or the exploitation of renewables.

Continued here:

'We must accept change is coming' RMT offshore boss on energy transition - News for the Oil and Gas Sector - Energy Voice

FORT MYERS BEACH

After 15 years since the last powerboat spectacle in Southwest Florida, Roar Offshore hit the water off Fort Myers Beach Saturday to complete the three-day event.

Fort Myers Beach was still packed with attendees, as the races wrapped up for the day. Nothing but excitement filled the island, as spectators watched powerboats reach speeds of 180 mph. Many said they hope this wont be the last time they get to witness these feats along our coast.

Guests told us they were only having fun at Roar Offshore.Yet its been almost two decades since the last powerboat championship was held in Southwest Florida. Tim Hill, the president of Roar Offshore, told us he was extremely impressed with the turnout and positive reaction to the event.

Powerboat racing goes back almost 45, 50 years, Hill said. Its been absent around 15 years, so were extremely happy, as residents of Fort Myers, to bring Roar Offshore back to Fort Myers Beach.

Racer Steve Curtis told us excitement and fun were equally felt by all the participating powerboat racers.

I think all the competitors are really thrilled to be back here, Curtis said.

Racers, businesses and visitors alike were all happy the races made a comeback.

Were just looking forward to the business, event attendee Carol Steier said. Its important to us.

Many businesses on Fort Myers Beach were packed well into the night and after Roar Offshore powerboat races had finished. And the event itself is expected to bring in millions of dollars, but some local businesses near the event say it was not the same for them.

The boat races have been a fantastic event for Fort Myers Beach, said Bob Ferreria, a bar own on the island. Its brought a lot of revenue, brought the community together. Its been great.

Ferrias restaurant and bar was busy after the main events ended for Roar Offshore, as customers stuck around.

Its fun to see your town and your community succeed, Ferreria said. And everybody making money and coming together.

Roar Offshore organizers are hopeful busy businesses like Ferrerias will make 2019 a banner year for Fort Myers Beach.

The race couldnt have come at a better time after last years red tide and very slow business, Ferreria said. So were extremely excited to see what those economic impacts are.

But just across the way from businesses like Ferrerias, not all businesses enjoyed the same good fortune.

Because were off the beach, because theres only a certain amount of time in between the races, so a lot of people stayed on the beach to eat, said. The parade was all down that way, so we didnt see too many people down the stretch because they were all looking at the boats.

Still, Roar Offshore is looking forward to a significant overall impact.

And businesses remained focused on their customers, as festivities continued for the weekend.

Were just trying to stay on top of things and take care of everybody, Ferreria said.

Seventy boats were entered in the competition, and tens of thousands of spectators watched what they hope will be the beginning of a new tradition in Southwest Florida.

We hope that Fort Myers Beach keeps this going because we love it, Steier said. Its been a blast.

The president of the event told us they are still waiting to learn the economic impact generated from the event. The goal was between $10 million and $15 million

Pretty good turnout, event attendee Matthew Mendez said. So I think itd be a real fun time to keep seeing them out here.

Originally posted here:

Roar Offshore powerboat races take to the water off Fort Myers Beach - Wink News

Dominion Energy has received two key determinations from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regarding the design, fabrication and installation of theCoastal Virginia Offshore Wind(CVOW) project.

This is a significant milestone as we move forward on building the first-ever fully permitted offshore wind project in federal waters, said Mark D. Mitchell, Dominion Energys vice president of generation construction. This process will provide key learnings we can apply to our commercial-scale offshore wind project.

Dominion submitted its Facility Design Report (FDR) and Fabrication and Installation Report (FIR) in partnership with rsted, a global leader in offshore wind development contracted for CVOW, and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, the company manufacturing the two 6-MW wind turbines to be installed next year 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast. BOEM has reviewed and responded to the two filings with a no objection determination, a significant milestone for the project.

The FDR/FIR no objection determination is the latest milestone in a list of firsts for the burgeoning offshore wind industry in the U.S. to come through the CVOW project, said Thomas Brostrm, CEO of rsted US Offshore Wind. As the only fully permitted project in the U.S. federal waters, CVOW continues to provide all involved parties valuable experience that will drive regulatory efficiencies and increased certainty that will reduce costs for future projects in the U.S.

The FDR details the design of all the major components of the offshore wind project, while the FIR describes the fabrication and installation plans of the equipment. The decision from BOEM is a necessary approval to move forward with offshore construction, which is on track for the summer of 2020.

This formal approval is a significant milestone for the Coastal Virginia project, said Steve Dayney, U.S. Head of Offshore, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE). We are very proud of this accomplishment which will enable us to maintain momentum in the project and may serve as a blueprint of success for others.

L.E. Myers Company began onshore construction in June to facilitate interconnection of the two wind turbines at a company substation near Camp Pendleton. At peak production, CVOW will power 3,000 homes. The turbines will not be visible from shore.

CVOW was first announced two years ago and received approval last November from the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The construction process is on a strict timetable, in order to minimize environmental impacts to the sea bottom and aquatic life. Observers will be present during the offshore construction activities to look for protected species in the area. If those species are located within an exclusion zone, work will be stopped.

News item from Dominion Energy

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Dominion Energy gets approval to erect two offshore wind turbines in Virginia - Windpower Engineering

ABS will collaborate with Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, to provide cyber security for ship information technology (IT) and operation technology (OT) in response to increasing digital technology within marine and offshore energy sectors.

Cyber security will be implemented at the earliest stages of asset design and development to ensure cyber risk management is an integral part of operations from the beginning.

Cyber security is the new frontier in marine and offshore safety, says ABS global head of cyber security Ian Bramson. As these assets become more digital, the industry must be ready to deal with a broader range of threats. Working together, we are able to deliver a converged IT/OT solution for safer, more secure assets and operations.

Owners and operators are becoming more exposed to cyber threats that could have serious consequences to operations and the safety of people and the environment as they implement methods to benefit from increased automation and digitalisation.

This drives the need for better control, visibility and management of cyber risks in maritime operations and computer systems, said Atos senior vice president and head of big data and cyber security Jerome Sandrini.

Historically, OT and IT acted as stand-alone systems in the maritime industry, he said. Uniting Atos cyber security expertise with ABS marine and offshore operational experience provides a new industry solution in securing both IT and OT assets, devices and networks.

Converging cyber security management covers physical OT systems with ITs real-time digital operations to protect personnel, company, cargo and the environment from the evolving threat landscape and prevent unwanted incidents from occurring said Mr Sandrini.

Atos provides end-to-end orchestrated hybrid cloud, big data and business applications and digital workplace solutions.

ABS portfolio of cyber security solutions provides risk-based capabilities at every stage of cyber defence and includes the proprietary cyber risk reduction and risk rating (CybeR2) programs, which use ABS FCI Cyber Risk method developed with the Maritime Security Center, a US Department of Homeland Security centre of excellence.

Upcoming conferences discussing energy interfaces and ship digitalisation from Riviera Maritime Media include LNG Ship/Shore Interface Conference Europe in London on 28-29 November and Optimised Ship Forum also in London on 11 December.

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Cyber security is the new frontier in marine and offshore safety - Riviera Maritime Media

FLOATING TURBINES Matthew Marshall, executive director of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, describes why the North Coast is an ideal area for offshore wind energy at public meeting in Eureka. Daniel Mintz | Union

Daniel MintzMad River Union

HUMBOLDT A public-private partnership is aiming to gain site control for an offshore wind energy project that will deploy 10 to 15 turbines and produce up to 150 megawatts of electricity.

At a Sept. 25 public meeting held in Eureka, representatives of the partnership said winning site control through a federal lease auction in 2020 will be a first step. The process will then proceed with project design and studies of environmental and socio-economic impacts.

Matthew Marshall, the executive director of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA), told an audience of about 50 people at Eurekas Wharfinger Building that the project will be sited 25 to 30 miles offshore of the Eureka area.

The ocean environment will shape the projects design. The offshore turbines are very big unlike on land, you dont have the constraint of moving things around by truck, he said. So the scale of these is much larger and with fewer turbines, there is more efficiency and reduced costs.

Marshall added that the tip of the turbine blades will reach about the height of the Golden Gate Bridge. Youre getting into the 600-foot tall range, he said.

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For context, Marshall said the former Samoa pulp mills smokestack is 300 feet tall and the turbines height may even be more than twice as tall as that.

So they will be very big but there will be fewer of them and theyll be more spaced out, he continued.

RCEA is partnering with three companies on the project, the globally-active EDP Renewables, Norways Aker Solutions and Principle Power, an Emeryville, California company that specializes in floating turbine platforms.

The turbines will be mounted on the floating platforms, which will be anchored to the sea bed by synthetic lines.

A federal agency, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, is helming the process and leasing the project area. The leasing is competitive and awarded through bidding.

Mark Severy of Humboldt State Universitys Schatz Energy Research Center, described the centers independent offshore wind feasibility studies. Funded through a variety of sources, the studies assess all aspects of offshore wind development, including a range of potential impacts.

But the partnerships specific impact and feasibility assessments wont be launched until site control is gained. Tyler Studds, an employee of EDP Renewables, acknowledged that there are concerns about that.

One concern is, Youre committing to a particular site and then youre doing the research? What if you find something out that tells you the site doesnt work? he said.

He added that to mitigate that risk, weve done a lot of research upfront, talking to stakeholders and doing work to identify upfront a site that mitigates potential impacts.

The outreach includes tapping the concerns of environmental groups to identify key research questions on potential impacts, including those affecting whales and seabirds.

On the socio-economic scale, the local fishing industry is facing significant impacts. Ken Bates of the Humboldt Fishermens Marketing Association emphasized that his groups members have been acutely affected by ocean trends related to climate change and generally support projects that reduce carbon emissions.

But the project will inevitably impact fishermen. When someone from the fishing fleet looks at a project like this, the first thing we look at, instantly, is how much ground we are going to lose, said Bates.

In addition to the initial footprint of the project itself, undersea power transmission cables will demand surface area travel lanes for installation and maintenance vessels, he continued. The vessel travel lanes will also have to be clear of fishing gear and Bates said there will also be impacts to fishermen in the harbor area.

He added that the projects partnership has taken a positive step in doing early outreach, which has been lacking in other areas of California and the United States.

After the project sites lease auction is held in 2020, project design and impact/feasibility assessments will follow. If those elements are favorable and financing is secured, construction will start by 2025.

See more here:

Offshore wind partnership seeks first step of site control - Mad River Union