Equinor and bp sign agreement to transform South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into central hub for offshore wind industry
NEW YORK, NY – Equinor, and its partner bp, today announced an agreement to turn the storied South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) complex in Brooklyn, New York into a major regional hub for offshore wind.
Under the agreement, the terminal will transform into a world-class offshore wind port capable of staging and assembling the largest, most sophisticated offshore wind technology components for the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects and for the growing US offshore industry on the East Coast.
The agreement was co-signed by terminal operator Sustainable South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SSBMT) and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).
The offshore wind projects on the US east coast are key building blocks to accelerate profitable growth in renewables and Equinor’s ambition to install 12-16 GW of renewables capacity by 2030.
Equinor and bp will create an operations and maintenance (O&M) hub and staging area at SBMT, with a total investment of USD 200 – USD 250 million in infrastructure upgrades, while also pursuing the development of SBMT as a low-emissions facility. The port will become a cutting-edge staging facility for Equinor and bp’s Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects that will supply 3.3 gigawatts (GWs) of energy — enough to power nearly two million New York homes — as well as become a go-to destination for future offshore wind projects in the region.
The redevelopment will inject the Sunset Park waterfront with substantial investment from the new renewable energy economy, creating new jobs and providing an economic boost to the community. Equinor and bp’s activities at SBMT are anticipated to support over one thousand jobs annually in the region.
“This agreement marks a major step forward in our commitment to New York State to both provide renewable power and to spark fresh economic activity, while creating enduring jobs. With the support of NYCEDC, SSBMT and our partners in the community, Equinor and bp are ready and eager to invest in the revitalization of SBMT, an historic port that will soon become a major part of New York’s energy future. New York has shown unflagging determination to become a focal point of the region’s offshore wind industry, and this agreement offers tangible evidence that this vision is quickly coming to life.”
Siri Espedal Kindem, President of Equinor Wind US
“We are enormously proud to lay the groundwork today for our vision of making New York City a nation-leading hub for the offshore wind industry. This agreement builds on the City’s $57M commitment to reactivate SBMT as a key manufacturing and operations base and will help make New York a leader in climate resiliency as well as air quality through clean energy investments,” said NYCEDC Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President Lindsay Greene. “Working together with our partners at Equinor, bp, and SSBMT, we are also advancing economic recovery and increasing diversity in waterfront construction, by helping local minority- and women-owned business enterprises benefit from the growing offshore wind industry and take advantage of the green jobs of the future.”
Felipe Arbelaez, bp’s senior vice president for zero carbon energy, added: “Today marks the first of many positive ripple effects from this project – and we want them to reverberate far and wide. As we reinvent energy, we also want to help reinvent the communities that help deliver it by investing in the skills and capabilities needed. By creating this regional hub we are able to do just that and it brings us all one step closer to delivering this incredible offshore wind development.”
At approximately 73.1 acres, SBMT will be one of the largest dedicated offshore wind port facilities in the United States. It is the only industrial waterfront site in the New York City area with the capacity to accommodate wind turbine generator staging and assembly activities at the scale required by component manufacturers.
Equinor recently announced the opening of the New York offshore wind project office, adjacent to SBMT in Industry City, to serve as the hub for Equinor and bp’s regional offshore wind activities. The office will also be home to an offshore wind learning center that will provide New Yorkers an opportunity to learn about this growing new industry.
Artistic rendering of concept for site development of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (not final)
Wind turbine staging operations with the Manhattan skyline in the background (artistic rendition, not final)
About Empire Wind and Beacon Wind
- Empire Wind is located 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island and spans 80,000 acres, with water depths of between approximately 75 and 135 feet. The lease was acquired in 2017. The projects two phases, Empire Wind 1 and 2, have a total installed capacity of more than 2 GW (816 + 1,260 MW).
- Beacon Wind is located more than 60 miles east of Montauk Point and 20 miles south of Nantucket and covers 128,000 acres. The lease was acquired in 2019 and has the potential to be developed with a total capacity of more than 2 GW. This first phase, Beacon Wind 1, is currently under development; it will have an installed capacity of 1,230 MW.
About Equinor Renewables US
- Equinor is one of the largest offshore wind developers in the United States, where it operates two lease areas, Empire Wind and Beacon Wind.
- Equinor is actively developing three projects: Empire Wind 1, Empire Wind 2, and Beacon Wind 1. Once completed, these projects will produce enough electricity to power about 2 million New York homes, and will help generate more than $1 billion in economic output to New York State.
- The United States is an attractive growth market for Equinor, a leader in offshore wind, with an ambition to install 12-16 GW of renewables capacity globally by 2030.
About bp in the US
- bp’s ambition is to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero. bp is America’s largest energy investor since 2005, investing more than $130 billion in the economy and supporting about 230,000 additional jobs through its business activities. For more information on bp in the US, visit www.bp.com/us.
- bp’s commitment to the US dates back 150 years, its renewables portfolio includes wind, solar and, bioenergy.
- bp has built an onshore US wind energy business over a decade and operates a 1.7 GW gross portfolio across nine wind assets in the US, generating enough electricity to power 450,000 homes annually.
About South Brooklyn Marine Terminal
- Equinor and bp are investing in port upgrades to help transform the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) into a world-class offshore wind staging and assembling facility and to become the operations and maintenance (O&M) base both for Equinor and other project developers going forward.
- SBMT will become one of the largest dedicated offshore wind port facilities in the United States at approximately 73 acres, with the capacity to accommodate wind turbine generator staging and assembly activities at the scale required by component manufacturers.
- SBMT is being redeveloped together with New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and terminal owner Sustainable South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SSBMT). SSBMT is a joint venture of Red Hook Terminals and Industry City.