The project will create the first high voltage direct current (“HVDC”) offshore backbone in the US, and will enable the connection of 6.000 MW of offshore wind produced off the coasts of the states of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
Each connection point will allow for the transmission of up to 2 GW between the offshore plants and the onshore grid, reinforcing the onshore grid in the busy mid-Atlantic market.
The offshore backbone is expected to be as much as 556 km long and its development will be divided into five segments (A, B, C, D and E).
Elia acquired a strategic ten percent stake in the project from AGI to participate in the first of five development stages, and a five percent interest in the other four phases of construction.
The firm simultaneously entered into a long-term consultancy contract with AWC project coordinator Atlantic Wind Developer.
Elia is one of the founding members of a seven-party consortium of European companies active in offshore transmission and is the fourth largest transmission operator in Europe.
“We look forward to joining the shareholders of, and to bringing our expertise to, this challenging and innovative project,” said Elia CEO Daniel Dobbeni. “We share their vision regarding the strategic importance of carbon free production of electricity and massive integration of wind energy into the grid. The cooperation and synergies that we will develop together will benefit a greener planet.”
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