Anbaric Development Partners
has concluded its second set of oceanographic survey activities for its
Boardwalk Power Link (BPL) project, which aims to connect wind energy produced
offshore to New Jersey’s existing onshore grid.
BPL is a planed 1,200 MW HVDC line connecting offshore wind energy produced
off the coast of New Jersey and coming onshore in Monmouth County. The
energy will travel via buried HVDC cable, via a route that lies 90% in
the public right-of-way, to a converter station to be built directly adjacent
to the Deans 500KV Substation located in South Brunswick, New Jersey.
“Geological seabed surveys are an important next step in our development
of offshore wind projects in New Jersey,” said Janice Fuller, President,
Mid-Atlantic, of Anbaric. “The data gathered through this process will
ensure Boardwalk Power Link is among the most efficient and environmentally
sound transmission projects in the state.”
This is the second set of surveys conducted for Anbaric’s Boardwalk Power
Link project, both of which have been led by ESS Group, Inc., an environmental
consulting and engineering firm, in concert with Ocean Surveys, Inc. The
surveys looked specifically at geological seabed conditions for the planned
subsea cable route and collector platforms located off the New Jersey coastline.
These subsurface geological investigations consisted of advancing 10-foot
long vibracores into the seabed along the proposed route.
Seabed cores and sediment samples were collected for lab analysis of bulk
chemical and bulk physical characteristics as well as thermal resistivity
sampling for cable rating and design assessments. ESS conducted a benthic
habitat and EFH analysis by acquiring seabed surface benthic grabs within
and along the planned cable route corridor.
All geological sampling and testing protocols were conducted via Sediment
Sampling Plan and have been approved by the NJDEP Office of Dredging and
Sediment Technology via the Project’s Sediment Sampling and Analysis Plan.
Results of these investigations are expected to be provided to respective
regulatory review agencies within the next few months.
“Transmission development is critical to achieving New Jersey’s vision
of 7,500 MW of offshore wind by 2030,” added Fuller. “Anbaric
looks forward to furthering our development work in New Jersey as we prepare
to participate in New Jersey’s nation-leading transmission solicitation.”