1 st
offshore wind farm constructed in US waters
Hydrodynamic and sediment transport modelling of subsea cable installation activities at the Block Island Wind Farm, Rhode Island
Deepwater Wind was developing the Block Island Wind Farm, a 30 megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm located approximately 3 miles southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island in approximately 26 m of water. The BIWF consists of five, 6 MW wind turbine generators (WTGs), a submarine cable interconnecting the WTGs (Inter-Array Cable), and a 34.5-kV transmission cable from the northernmost WTG to an interconnection point on Block Island (Export Cable).
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Timeline
2011
The project started in 2011.
2012
In May 2012, the modelling analysis was completed.
2012
In September 2012, meetings with CRMC and RIDEM were held.
2014
In September 2014, the dredging permit was awarded.
2014
The project was completed in September 2014.
Key Details
Project Name
Sediment Transport Analysis of Cable Installation for Block Island Wind Farm and Block Island Transmission System
Client
Deepwater Wind through Tetra Tech
Sector
- Renewables
Location
- Block Island Sound and Narragansett Bay, USA
Services Provided
- Hydrodynamic modelling
- Sediment transport modelling
- Environmental impact assessment
- Client support and presentation at regulatory hearings
Challenge
Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) require that certain thresholds of sediment concentration and sediment deposition depths not be exceeded, as a result of dredging activities in coastal waters. Accurate representation of local currents and circulation patterns, and quantification of the sediment grain size distribution along the cable burial route, are necessary to predict the material transport, water column concentrations and deposition footprint of the resuspended sediments. Reasonable estimates of the sediment loss rate from dredging activities (volume and rate of sediments that are resuspended), must be made to accurately determine the sediment mass in the water column that is free to be transported.
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Project Statistics
1 st
time Block Island connected to the mainland grid
100 %
of Block Island electricity now generated by the offshore wind farm
40 %
reduction in electricity cost in the island
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