Danes Snap Up Offshore Wind Acreage in Massachusetts

Danish fund management company Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has acquired 100% of Offshore MW LLC, a company holding a 166,886 acre (675 square km) offshore wind energy lease issued by the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and located south of Massachusetts. 

Offshore MW LLC is eligible to participate in the utility tender program established by recently enacted legislation in Massachusetts, which calls for a total of 1600 MW of new offshore wind capacity until 2027.

The first tender round to obtain a long term power offtake agreement is expected to take place mid-2017, leading to first power from the winning project approximately four years later. Offshore MW LLC is currently preparing to carry out a geophysical and a geotechnical survey at the site throughout September and October.

CIP, who bought Offshore MW LLC on behalf of Copenhagen Infrastructure II, said that the project will be continuously developed by the existing local development team, supported by senior industry experts from CIP.

Offshore MW LLC has held the lease since January 2015. The company was one of the two winners of the competitive lease sale organised by BOEM, with RES America Developments winning the lease for an adjacent 187,523 acre area.

RES subsequently sold the lease and the project rights to another Danish company, DONG Energy, which now plans to construct the 1,000MW Bay State Wind offshore wind farm at the site.