Mayflower Wind Energy to begin 804-MW offshore wind project

 

Mayflower Wind Energy LLC (Mayflower Wind, Boston, Mass., U.S.), a joint venture of Shell New Energies US LLC (Shell) and EDPR Offshore North America LLC (EDPR), has been chosen by the state of Massachusetts to supply 804 megawatts of clean, renewable energy from offshore wind for the state. Mayflower Wind says this is enough energy to power approximately 500,000 homes.

Mayflower Wind anticipates the project, which is located more than 20 miles south of Nantucket with expected start-up in 2025, will provide economic benefits:

• long-term prices below the original price cap of $84.23/MWh,
• $3.7 billion in electricity rate reduction over the term of the contract,
• creation of up to 10,000 jobs in Massachusetts including both offshore jobs and onshore opportunities, and
• elimination of 1.7 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually from clean energy produced once in operation, said to be the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road.

This selection is a key step in implementation of the Commonwealth’s nation-leading Section 83C offshore wind development procurement process.

“Mayflower Wind is proud to have been selected to provide low cost renewable energy to Massachusetts,” says John Hartnett, Mayflower Wind president. “Development of the Mayflower Wind project will contribute to the building of an offshore supply chain on the South Coast and across the Commonwealth, helping to launch a new clean, safe and innovative sector of our economy. We look forward to working with all of our stakeholders to ensure a safe and successful project.”

Mayflower Wind also has provided the same competitive pricing solution to Connecticut under their current procurement process for offshore wind, matching the objective of securing low cost renewable energy articulated in the State’s energy plan.

Mayflower Wind brings the experience and skills of its parent companies, Shell and EDP Renewables, to Massachusetts. These reportedly include successfully developing, permitting, financing, constructing and operating offshore and onshore wind projects and offshore production facilities. The companies have more than 18,000 U.S. employees between them, a supply chain of more than 5,000 U.S. companies, $400 billion in market capitalization, experience operating 6,300 megawatts of onshore wind in the U.S. and ongoing development and construction of 2,700 megawatts of offshore wind projects in France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Scotland that are anticipated to be operational between now and 2023.