Siemens and Cape Wind have signed a contract for the construction of the United States´ first utility-scale offshore wind farm. Once the contract becomes effective later this year, Siemens will supply Cape Wind with its 3.6 MW offshore WTGs, an offshore Electric Service Platform (ESP) and a long-term service agreement. When fully built, Cape Wind will have a capacity of 468 MW. The project is situated off the Northeast coast, 20 km off Nantucket, at Horseshoe Shoal in the Nantucket Sound. Installation and commissioning is expected for 2016.
"The USA is a key market for Siemens. We are proud to be able to announce the third big contract in the U.S. within just one week. Following the biggest onshore wind order ever and a follow-up order for a highly efficient and flexible gas-fired combined cycle power plant in Pennsylvania, we've now signed a contract to provide wind turbines and service for the first commercial offshore wind farm in the U.S. This shows that wind power and natural gas do not stand opposed but rather are the perfect fit for a sustainable energy system," said Michael Seuss, member of the management board of Siemens AG and CEO of Siemens' Energy Sector.
Other potential offshore locations are situated along the Southern and Northern Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. A recently published Navigant study by the US Department of Energy predicts that installed U.S. offshore wind power capacity will rise in the next five years to 3.5 GW.
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