Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved the use of GE Haliade-X 12 MW offshore wind turbine at Ørsted’s Skipjack offshore wind farm, to be built at a location about 30 miles off the coast of Maryland-Delaware.
Ørsted selected GE Renewable Energy as the preferred turbine supplier for the project in 2019, changing its initial plan to use Siemens Gamesa 8 MW offshore wind turbines.
The developer submitted the new wind turbine plan to the Maryland PSC last year, and the authority initiated public comment process.
The PSC issued a decision on August 20, approving the wind turbine change and saying that the selection of the Haliade-X 12 MW turbine is consistent with both the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act and the public interest.
The order no. 88192 of 2017 – issued in accordance with the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act and by which the PSC approved the project – sets out circumstances aimed at reducing taxpayer risk and maximum value for the State of Maryland, including choosing “the best commercial available technology at the time of deployment ”.
Namely, in the application submitted in 2016, Ørsted included the Siemens Gamesa 8 MW turbine in its project design. Neither the developer nor the PSC in their Order No. 88192 determines which turbine specifically would be used.
Ørsted then stated that “the latest class of technology is what we want to deploy” and stated that the turbine model that was eventually selected could have a higher output than 8 MW.
“When it submitted its application in 2016, Skipjack selected the Siemens Gamesa 8 MW turbine to develop its Project Design Base because it was state of the art at the time.71 Still considered Order No . 88192 the possibility of larger, more advanced turbines. Given the long lead time for developing an offshore wind project and the continuous improvements in offshore wind technology, the Commission did not require Skipjack to use a particular turbine, but instead gave Skipjack the flexibility to choose a more technologically advanced turbine, then. t the project near came construction phase“, Sets the PSC.
The Skipjack wind farm was scheduled to become operational in 2022, however, due to delays in the licensing process, the project is now scheduled for the end of 2023.
