Iberdrola’s Avangrid has finalised an agreement to assume operations and management for the 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the US.
Vineyard Wind 1, equally owned by joint venture partners Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) funds, is currently under construction off the coast of Massachusetts.
According to Avangrid, the agreement will cover the project’s operations and maintenance as well as an asset management contract. Once construction is complete and commercial operations begin, the company will oversee the turbine, cable and substation maintenance, coordination of contractors, control center services, trading, and asset management.
The plan is to hire approximately 20 technically qualified employees, including key roles that will receive intensive training overseas through Iberdrola’s operational offshore wind farms in the UK and Europe.
Vineyard Wind 1 is scheduled to begin delivering energy to Massachusetts in 2023 and achieve commercial operations in 2024. It should provide energy to over 400,000 homes and businesses across the Commonwealth and reduce carbon emissions by over 1.6m tons per year.Â
