Hampton Roads Alliance researches offshore wind opportunities

The project will be used to build out the US offshore wind industry in Hampton Roads and identify key opportunities for economic expansion.

The partnership will deliver an in-depth offshore wind supply chain assessment and gap analysis for the Hampton Roads metropolitan area and wider southern Virginia.

The study will be based upon the requirements of both offshore wind developers and tier one suppliers, as well as gauge the capabilities of local companies to become key suppliers to the industry.

The work will identify Hampton Road’s supply chain assets and uncover any gaps to help the Hampton Roads Alliance in its economic development efforts to support offshore wind.

The offshore wind supply chain assessment entails scoring the supply chain requirements, identifying and assessing key sectors, and analysing the strengths and limitations of Hampton Roads. It will lead to a set of recommendations for a measurable, strategically focused offshore wind development plan based on available strengths and market forces, including roads for potential investment.

Xodus senior consultant Jeff Tingley said, “The size of the US offshore wind market creates a need for the development of an entire new US industry, and Hampton Roads will play a major role in its development.

“Our work aims to help the industry and Hampton Roads improve efficiency and reduce costs as the scale of development grows, while helping local communities further realise the economic benefits associated with offshore wind.

“With an aggressive strategy to ramp up offshore wind activity, this is a fantastic opportunity to create a sustainable local supply chain which can deliver a responsible energy future.”

Virginia is home to what will be the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in federal waters. When fully constructed in 2026, the 2.64-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project will deliver up to 8.8M megawatt hours per year of clean energy to the grid.

Hampton Roads will also support development of Avangrid Renewables’ 2.5-GW Kitty Hawk offshore wind project.

“With the development of these two projects, Virginia is on a trajectory to lead offshore wind development in the US,” said Alliance president and chief executive Doug Smith.

“The Commonwealth is also a natural fit to become a supply chain hub for the offshore wind industry with our best-in-class port infrastructure, centrally located and capable workforce, and supportive business and regulatory climate.

“The Alliance’s dedicated offshore wind supply chain development initiative is leveraging these projects to grow the regional economy and position Virginia as a leader in the sustainable energy industry.”