Dong Energy is set to develop up to 1000 MW of offshore wind capacity in the USA after sealing a deal to take over the project development rights of RES Americas Development Inc.
The move marks Dong's first venture in the offshore sector outside of Europe. The USA is "an interesting market for offshore wind with the potential to become a significant area for future development," said Samuel Leupold, Dong's executive vice president for wind power.
Under the deal, Dong will take over a lease with a total size of 760 km2 off the coast of Massachusetts. It could potentially accommodate the development of up to 1000 MW of capacity, Dong said in a statement.
The site lies 90 km from the shore and has water depths of 40-50 m. "The site conditions are quite similar to those we currently work with in North-Western Europe which means that the project could be developed using well-known technology and logistics," said Leupold.
He added: "We already have a number of post 2020 projects in our pipeline in North-Western Europe that we will continue to develop. With the takeover of the offshore wind development project in the US, we will broaden our geographical scope and follow the market potential outside of our current footprint."
In Massachusetts, a draft policy bill to support the regulatory conditions for offshore wind has been introduced with the aim of providing a stable framework for the development of the industry.
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