Equinor wins offshore wind lease in US Central Atlantic auction

Equinor has been announced as a provisional winner in the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) offshore wind energy lease auction in the US Central Atlantic region.

Equinor said the 2GW lease will have the capacity to produce enough energy to power approximately 900,000 US homes.

With a bid of US$75,001,001 for 101,443 acres (41,052.5 hectares) in the Atlantic Ocean, Equinor secured one of two fixed-bottom lease areas in the BOEM auction located 26 nautical miles from the mouth of the Delaware Bay.

Equinor will now work with BOEM to certify the lease. After regulatory approvals, the Central Atlantic site will be added to Equinor’s existing US offshore wind portfolio.

Molly Morris, President of Equinor Renewables Americas, said the Central Atlantic region has a rapidly growing demand for electricity with widespread support for adding renewable sources of energy into the power mix.

Pål Eitrheim, Executive Vice President of Equinor Renewables, said the company expects first power at the new offshore wind site no earlier than 2035.