$700,000 U.S. offshore wind supply chain study gets underway

Written by Nick Blenkey
Offshore wind turbines

Image courtesy Ørsted

A major effort aimed at developing a comprehensive U.S. offshore wind supply chain roadmap has launched. The comprehensive study is a combination of two projects with $400,000 in funding coming from the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium and $300,000 from the State of Maryland.

The project is a partnership between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Business Network for Offshore Wind, the State of Maryland, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

“Building a domestic offshore wind supply chain is a key step in achieving the cost reductions, economic development, and sustainable industry needed to meet DOE’s goal of 30 GW by 2030,” said Matt Shields, Senior Offshore Wind Analyst at NREL. “This project will help the United States leverage existing manufacturing and workforce capabilities to grow a network of domestic suppliers.”

NREL, the Business Network for Offshore Wind (the network), and DNV are collaborating on the project.

The Business Network’s efforts will include gathering data through its Supply Chain Connect tool, a database used by developers to search for suppliers and by vendors to introduce themselves to the industry.

The network, NREL, and DNV will then evaluate this updated database to prepare a detailed analysis of resources and gaps in the current supplier base and will also characterize the benefits of a domestic supply chain that leverages existing strengths.

Results of the $700,000 effort will be shared broadly and will set an important baseline for determining and planning for U.S. supply chain needs.

Initial results from the gaps study will be available in Fall 2021 and the full report will be released by the end of 2022. This comprehensive study is a combination of two projects with $400,000 in funding from the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium and $300,000 from Maryland.

The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, established in 2018, is a not-for-profit public-private partnership focused on advancing offshore wind technology in the United States through high impact research projects and cost-effective and responsible development to maximize economic benefits. Funding for the consortium comes from the U.S. Department of Energy and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), with each providing $20.5 million, as well as contributions from the Commonwealths of Virginia and Massachusetts and the States of Maryland and Maine, bringing total investment to approximately $47 million.

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