GE-BOND Consortium to Build High-Voltage Electrical Systems for Empire Wind 1

A specially formed consortium between GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions and New York-based BOND Civil & Utility Construction has been awarded an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contract to supply a digital onshore substation for Empire Wind 1 wind farm offshore New York, USA.

Empire Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Equinor and bp, awarded the contract to the consortium.

Empire Wind 1 is planned for an area of 80,000 acres, in federal waters, an average of 20 miles south of Long Island, east of the Rockaways. Once operational, it will power more than 500,000 New York homes.

The GE-BOND consortium led by GE’s Grid Solutions will be responsible for delivering the onshore substation and interconnection cable in Brooklyn, New York City, on an EPC basis, as well as designing and supplying the high-voltage electrical systems for the offshore substation.

”This contract award marks another big step for the Empire Wind project. Through this commitment we will continue to advance this flagship offshore wind development, generating local jobs and shaping the growth of this industry. Together with our partner bp, Equinor will deliver homegrown, renewable energy to New York households, making a substantial contribution to the New York state’s leading climate ambitions,” said Siri Espedal Kindem, president of Equinor Wind US.

Engaged with Equinor since the Pre-FEED phase (Pre- Front End Engineering Design), GE’s AC Systems Group coordinated the implementation of digital substations including advanced digital monitoring, controls, and software systems, GE will provide the critical connection and power balance needed between the offshore wind farm and the point of interconnection to the NY electrical grid.

BOND Civil & Utility will be responsible for all aspects of the construction of the onshore substation and the interconnection cable, site restoration, and high voltage electric equipment installation for the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) substation.

The development of the onshore and offshore substations will start this year, with construction expected to begin during the second half of 2023.

GE’s Grid Solutions and BOND Civil and Utility plan to open a project office in Brooklyn, NYC that will host the complete project teams. GE and BOND are also committed to give opportunities to New York-based suppliers and contractors to be part of this project.

The Brooklyn terminal will serve as a hub for Equinor and bp’s Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects that will supply 3.3 GW.

The complex will be transformed into a major staging and assembly facility for the industry, as well as a long-term operations and maintenance base. Equinor recently announced a New York project office located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, opposite the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.

”As the consortium leader for the Empire Wind 1 EPC contract, we are excited to move ahead with this landmark project,” said Johan Bindele, AC Systems Business Leader at GE’s Grid Solutions.

”Over the past 15 years, GE has been awarded significant contracts to deliver high-voltage AC systems for 18 offshore wind projects, connecting 5 GW of offshore wind farms. I would like to thank our partner BOND Civil & Utility Construction for their dedication and collaboration over the last three years to develop and optimize the technical solution that enabled us to secure this major deal.”

GE’s Grid Solutions said that by leveraging the advantages of GE’s IEC 61850 digital substation, it will provide the flexibility, real-time data and remote monitoring capabilities needed to ensure system reliability.

BOND Civil & Utility is a building, civil, utility and energy construction firm active for over a century in New England, the Northeast, and the Mid-Atlantic, and has served as a pioneer in the construction of underground electric transmission and distribution systems for some of the largest utility companies in the Northeast.

Kane Cuddy, President, BOND Civil & Utility Construction, said: ”We are thrilled with Equinor and bp’s vote of confidence in BOND Civil & Utility’s capabilities to execute on the Empire Wind 1 project. We look forward to bringing over a century of experience in generation, transmission, and distribution construction to ensure clean energy delivery to customers and working with GE’s Grid Solutions on this state-of-the-art substation and major renewable energy project to help New York State meet its ambitious clean energy and climate goals.”

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