DEME wins US $ 1 billion deal

Excavation team DEME, a subsidiary of the listed contractor CFE

, Available in the United States Enter the contract For the construction of a wind farm on the coast of Virginia (CVOW). The deal is worth more than $ 1.1 billion (9 950 million).

DEME signed a contract with Prismian, the largest builder of submarine power cable systems. The Belgian maritime service provider is allowed to install the foundations of wind turbines and oversee the complete installation of the project.

CVOW is a wind farm to be built 43 kilometers off the coast of Virginia. When the park opens in 2026, it will have 176 wind farms that can generate enough 2.6 gigawatts of electricity for 660,000 homes. By comparison: All eight wind farms on Flemish Beach have a capacity of 2.3 GW. So CVOW is the largest sea breeze project ever in the United States. The wind farm will cost a total of $ 1.9 billion.

Note that coastal wind farms in the United States are still in their infancy. The New York Times correct time There are currently a total of seven windmills operating on the US coast, compared to 5,400 windmills in Europe. Although almost 150,000 kilometers of the American coast is luxurious.

The most important reason? Jones Act. That Act since 1920 In order to protect the U.S. Merchant Navy, windmill developers effectively prevent foreign ships from shipping from U.S. ports. For years, it has banned offshore wind power, although it is an integral part of President Biden’s $ 1 trillion infrastructure plan.

DEME, in partnership with an American maritime service provider, is enforcing this strict law FOSS. Dredger already announced last month the contract for the first U.S. Marine Wind Farm: Vineyard Off the northeastern state of Massachusetts.