Wind Energy – USA
Equinor has entered into a swap transaction with bp, under which Equinor will take full ownership of the Empire Wind lease and projects and bp will take full ownership of the Beacon Wind lease and projects.
Under the agreement, Equinor will take 100% ownership of Empire Offshore Wind Holdings LLC. Subject to certain conditions, Equinor will also take over bp’s 50% share of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) lease.
Bp will take over Beacon Wind Holdings LLC and the associated project company that holds the Astoria Gateway for Renewable Energy site and will become the operator of the Beacon Wind projects.
The transaction will be cash neutral, except for standard settlements of cash and working capital items.
The agreement provides Equinor and bp with the flexibility to pursue their respective priorities under their corporate strategies. Equinor has more than 20 years’ experience with offshore wind and entered the US offshore wind market already in 2017 – and has also built a strong offshore wind portfolio with assets in key markets like UK, Poland, Germany, and South Korea.
Following the signing of the agreement, a bid was submitted for the Empire Wind 1 project in New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation round, which closed at 3pm ET today 25 January 2024.
It has also been agreed with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to terminate the Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate (OREC) Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Beacon Wind 1 project.
