DELAWARE - Ørsted, a clean energy company, will conduct offshore geophysical surveys in Delaware this Fall in support of Skipjack Wind’s development.
Skipjack Wind is a 966-megawatt offshore wind farm that is planned to power nearly 300,000 homes in the region. It's important to note however that there is no site at the moment for an interconnection facility that would bring cables on shore. An onshore site is necessary before the project can come to fruition. Past proposed interconnection facility sites included Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island State Park, but nothing has been finalized. The latter was struck down after massive public opposition.
The US-flagged R/V Shackleford will conduct high-resolution geophysical surveys in the nearshore ocean environment to approximately 6 miles off Delaware’s coast. The purpose is to collect data about the seafloor and the geology beneath it, and to identify potential archaeological resources and debris left by other ocean users.
“This work is a critical step forward in our plan to deliver clean energy to nearly 300,000 homes in the region, make significant investments in Delaware’s energy infrastructure, and create good-paying jobs for Delaware workers,” said Chris Bason, Ørsted’s Stakeholder Relations Lead for Delaware.
Skeptics of the process have long been concerned about the impact on Delmarva's natural resources on the sea floor. CoastTV asked the company about this.
"Whenever we do our work, we're very cognizant of taking every measure that we can to protect marine life in the area and offshore wind industry is subject to the most stringent level of protection for marine mammals and protected species," Bason said.
Ørsted said the offshore wind industry is subject to stringent standards for marine mammal protection during offshore surveys, including 10-knot speed restrictions and trained observers onboard to watch for marine mammals and protected species 24 hours a day.
In compliance with regulations set by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), these observers actively look for whales, dolphins, other marine mammals, and protected species in the vicinity of the vessel. The observers direct the vessel to conduct an array of mitigation measures, where appropriate, to prevent impacts. This can include a change of course or shutdown of the relevant sound sources.
Ørsted invites those interested in the survey vessel work to review its online Mariners Briefings.
For more information about offshore geophysical surveys, visit www.skipjackwind.com.