FARMINGDALE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Equinor and bp, the 50-50 partners in the Empire and Beacon Wind projects, held their third supplier expo at Farmingdale State College. Over 200 local and regional manufacturers, suppliers, and contractors attended to meet key offshore wind project suppliers and vendors. The event offered an important opportunity for Long Island businesses to learn how to take part in the local offshore wind supply chain arising from new large-scale projects like Empire Wind and Beacon Wind, which are under development off the Long Island coast.
At the event, attendees heard from key suppliers, experts, and influential workforce and business leaders about the need to create a Long Island and New York based supply chain and workforce to aid the development of the offshore wind industry. With the Equinor-bp partnership planning to build four wind farms off the Long Island coast the Empire and Beacon Wind projects will provide an entry way for Long Island businesses to create components for offshore wind farms and train their workforces for careers in offshore wind.
"The Long Island supplier expo was a great opportunity for Long Island businesses to find out about the plethora of suppliers and contractors that our projects will need to work with to build our Empire and Beacon Wind projects. From companies that produce concrete and rebar to contractors like electricians and seafarers, the expo brought many Long Island businesses together to discuss future opportunities in the offshore wind industry,” said Molly Morris, President of Equinor Wind US.
During the panels, attendees were able to ask questions related to the industry as well as questions about their company's participation in the offshore wind industry. During breaks, attendees were also able to speak with key suppliers at their booths to find out more about these companies. Following the panel discussions, a matchmaking session took place. This gave Long Island businesses the chance to speak one on one with the key suppliers and to let them know more about their businesses, ask important questions, and find out how these Long Island companies could be integrated into their local supply chain.
“Vestas is thrilled to once again participate in Equinor’s Supply Chain Expo as we continue to support the build-out of a sustainable US offshore industry. By connecting with diverse and local suppliers in New York, we aim to establish an inclusive clean energy economy with long-term jobs and opportunities. We look forward to bringing the 2.1 GW Empire Wind offshore project to operation and supporting the State’s ambitious clean energy goals,” said Amy McGinty, Vice President of Offshore Construction and Operations, Vestas North America.
“Events like Equinor’s Long Island Supplier Expo showcase the importance of working with a local supply chain in building the sustainable future,” said Vincent Dessale, COO, Nexans.
Equinor Renewables US
Equinor is one of the largest offshore wind developers in the world. Its work in the United States includes the development of two lease areas off New York, Empire Wind and Beacon Wind. The projects plan to provide New York State with 3.3 gigawatts (GWs) of energy—enough to power nearly two million homes—including more than 2 GWs from Empire Wind and 1,230 megawatts from Beacon Wind 1. www.equinor.com/NY
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 has a larger economic footprint in the United States than anywhere else in the world, investing more than $140 billion since 2005 and supporting about 245,000 jobs. For more information on bp in the US, visit www.bp.com/US.
About Empire Wind
Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor and bp through their 50-50 strategic partnership in the US. Empire Wind will power more than 1 million homes and generate 2.1 GW of power. For more information, please visit www.empirewind.com.
About Beacon Wind
Beacon Wind is being developed by Equinor and bp and planned for an area of 128,000 acres in federal waters between Cape Cod and Long Island. The lease area was acquired in 2019 and is being developed in two phases. Beacon Wind 1 is on track to deliver 1.2 GW of renewable energy directly to New York City in the late 2020s – enough to power 1 million homes. Beacon Wind 2 has the capacity to generate another 1.2 GW of clean energy for consumers in the US Northeast. www.beaconwind.com
