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Award Finalists

Ventus Awards

2022 Advancement in Project Siting & Development

Ventolines 

Project Submission: Using Radar Systems to Track Avian and Aviation Patterns 

VentolinesVentolines was responsible for the development, execution, and asset management of Wind Park Fryslân (WPF). Wind Park Fryslân consists of 89 wind turbines and delivers green energy equal to approximately 500,000 households. WPF is the largest wind park in the world situated in inland water. It was built in a Nature 2000 area, which offers a haven to Europe’s most valuable and threatened species.  Building WPF entailed significant responsibilities and required a careful approach to implementation.   

In Ventolines’ quest to help solve the problem of rapidly accelerating climate change, it was imperative to take all possible actions to reduce or eliminate unintended negative impacts from the project. They focused on safeguards in two areas: the protection of wildlife, specifically birds and bats flying near the windfarm; and the protection of commercial and private aviation:  

Ventolines was able to address these concerns proactively with the successful implementation of two complementary radar systems, one focusing on birds and bats, and one focusing on aircraft. Windpark Fryslân was the first to successfully implement these two distinct radar systems, each with its own intended function. The radar systems created several synergistic benefits. They were able to:  

  • Document dynamic bird and bat movements and meteorological data within WPF  
  • Distinguish bird size and track bird flock behavior 
  • Minimize lighting disturbance from aircraft beacons that are typically on 24 hours/day  
  • Eliminate a potential source of attraction for birds and bats  
  • Reduce project offshore wind project development risk  

Vineyard Wind 

Project Submission: Vineyard Wind 1 

Vineyard WindVineyard Wind LLC undertook immense effort and collaboration to advance the U.S. offshore wind industry through the development of Vineyard Wind 1, the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project that will be installed in Lease Area OCS-A 0501, which began construction last year. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Record of Decision (ROD) Vineyard Wind 1 on May 10, 2021, followed by a Construction and Operation Plan (COP) approval on July 15, 2021. The project achieved financial close on September 15, 2021. At $2.3 billion, it represents one of the largest investments in a single renewable energy project in the U.S.  

Vineyard Wind’s industry-leading efforts have advanced the U.S. offshore wind industry and delivered a project that is the product of an immense effort and collaboration that includes approximately a decade of development and stakeholder engagement. Vineyard Wind 1 underwent a three-and-a-half-year permitting process and was reviewed by more than two dozen federal, state, and local agencies, weathering numerous delays along the way. Navigating this complex permitting process required Vineyard Wind to meet numerous regulatory requirements and balance a broad range of sometimes conflicting stakeholder concerns and demands, all while seeking certainty for investors. To do so, the company established a strong local presence in Massachusetts, developed collaborative partnerships with local communities and partners, and worked with stakeholders to identify creative solutions that address concerns. 

Along the way, Vineyard Wind established an offshore wind development blueprint  that reduces development risk and serves as a model for other projects to follow. This blueprint yielded a number of notable firsts and is centered on responsible development and collaborative community partnerships in support of offshore wind.  

WSP 

Project Submission: Offshore Wind Cable Corridor Constraints Assessment 

WSPWSP USA’s Offshore Wind Cable Corridor Constraints Assessment supports NYSERDA’s goal to develop an understanding of the constraints of offshore wind cables and how to address these constraints in order to achieve New York’s goal of 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035. 

The Assessment analyzes existing data and information relating to cable route constraints and challenges and provides a broad, non-project specific evaluation that will help facilitate regulatory decisions for siting, installation, and operation of undersea and overland cable corridors that could be brought to New York’s power grid. Overarching goals of the Assessment were:    

  • Document and increase the understanding of environmental, technical, and stakeholder constraints, as well as opportunities, concerns, impacts, and risks of potential undersea and overland cable corridors and associated landings; and 
  • Inform potential future policy actions that maximize the benefits of offshore wind and minimize conflicts and impacts in a timeframe to support achieving the mandated 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035. 

To achieve New York’s mandated GW goals, the Assessment recommends that future offshore wind cable sitings incorporate accepted siting principles based on Cable Working Group (CWG) guidance and offshore wind industry experience. Siting principles support installing multiple cables and minimizing the use of space and impacts on environmental, cultural, and social resources. Opportunities to minimize impacts include collocating cables, considering reuse of abandoned infrastructure, and using mitigation strategies to offset the losses associated with impacts.