BOEM issues lease for floating wind research in waters off Maine

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Monday issued an offshore wind research lease in Maine for an area that could become home to the country’s first floating offshore wind farm.

The lease zone covers almost 15,000 acres (6,070 ha) of seabed areas located 28 nautical miles offshore Maine on the US Outer Continental Shelf. If developed, they could accommodate up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines with a combined capacity of up to 144 MW.

The research initiative will help evaluate the floating offshore wind resource, allowing the fishing community, wildlife experts and the offshore wind industry to carry out in-depth studies. The collected data will show the potential effects of turbine deployment on the environment, supply chains, and job creation.

The construction of the research array is not likely to occur for several years. Once a lessee is selected, BOEM will have to review its research activities plan and conduct an environmental assessment.

The state of Maine lodged an application with BOEM for a lease in federal waters in the Gulf of Maine to host the floating offshore wind research project in 2021. The state was offered a research lease after in May the Department of Interior (DOI) agency found out that the deployment of floating offshore wind turbines in the target zone will have no significant impact on the environment.

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