Ørsted slips Skipjack into 2023 after regulatory delay

The company said the new schedule for completing the 120-MW project is a result of a delay in the federal approval process for the windfarm.

In a statement, the company said, “As the federal permitting timeline evolves, Ørsted is now receiving its federal Notice of Intent for the Skipjack windfarm later than originally anticipated.

“As a result, Ørsted has determined that moving Skipjack’s anticipated completion date from late 2022 to a new target of the end of 2023 puts us in the strongest position possible to deliver a successful project.

“Ørsted remains firmly committed to working with our federal partners to complete Skipjack and provide clean, reliable offshore wind energy to 35,000 homes in the Delmarva region.

“We wish to thank our partners at the local, state, and federal level for their continued engagement.

“As public health safeguards are lifted in the Delmarva region, Ørsted looks forward to scheduling new opportunities for residents to learn about the immense economic and environmental benefits associated with the Skipjack windfarm and this new American industry.”

The project was proposed in response to Maryland’s Offshore Wind Act of 2013. It is expected to use GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X 12MW wind turbines.