Vineyard Wind Announces Investment In US-Based Bubble Curtain Supplier

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05/12/2023 - 04:53 PM

ThayerMahan to anchor acoustic mitigation systems headquarters in New Bedford as it expands to further serve the offshore wind industry

NEW BEDFORD, Mass., May 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), today announced a pilot program to deploy and test a secondary bubble curtain during foundation installation through a partnership with ThayerMahan, a firm that specializes in seabed surveys, acoustic mitigation and monitoring, and other maritime related services, with facilities in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The $5 million in funding comes from Vineyard Wind's Industry Accelerator Fund, which is administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).

"For the first time, a US-based company will perform the service of providing a bubble curtain mitigation system." -- Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus S. Moeller

As a part of the agreement, ThayerMahan will move its headquarters for their bubble curtain acoustic mitigation product line to New Bedford, sharing part of the Foss Marine Terminal. ThayerMahan, partnered with the world leader in Big Bubble Curtain technology – Hydrotechnik-Luebeck (HTL), has committed to hiring locally for a wide array of positions, from deckhands to data scientists. The firm has already established a training/internship program with UMass Dartmouth, in addition to agreeing to assembly and manufacturing operations for future projects in New Bedford. Once this partnership is executed, ThayerMahan will be the first American company to provide bubble curtain services to the US Offshore Wind industry.

"Our agreement with ThayerMahan ensures that for the first time, a US-based company will perform the service of providing a bubble curtain mitigation system for an offshore wind project," said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus S. Moeller. "We believe this is the first step of getting US firms experience in this new industry and sets the stage for rapid expansion in the coming years, particularly in our hometown of New Bedford."

"The deployment of this bubble curtain by ThayerMahan marks another milestone in the construction of this nation-leading project and demonstrates offshore wind's potential to create local jobs and economic impact," said AVANGRID CEO Pedro Azagra. "We are proud to come to this agreement with a local maritime services firm that will help us deliver on the successful, environmentally responsible installation of this project and launch the offshore wind industry in the United States."

A bubble curtain, which is comprised of large, perforated hoses and specialized air compressors, is designed to absorb and dampen sound during foundation installation. The hoses are placed on the seafloor around the monopile before being filled by compress air. Once the hoses are inflated, the air escapes through the perforations and creates a barrier of bubbles that reduce noise.

These operations will be conducted from the Northstar Navigator, a vessel that will be operated out of the Port of New Bedford.

"We are proud to support Vineyard Wind in the construction of the United States' first large scale offshore wind development," said ThayerMahan Chairman and CEO Michael Connor. We appreciate the support of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in establishing a world class noise mitigation capability in New Bedford that will serve construction efforts throughout the region. We continue to hire motivated workers who want to be a part of an effort that helps deliver a sustainable energy future."

"We are thrilled to see ThayerMahan bring its innovative solutions and acoustic mitigation operations base to New Bedford, and we commend them for their commitment to building a local workforce. This is yet another first for Massachusetts' offshore wind industry and cements our growing leadership," said MassCEC CEO Jennifer Daloisio. "MassCEC is proud to support Vineyard Wind's Industry Accelerator Fund, which is catalyzing local innovation and job creation in the Commonwealth's growing offshore wind industry."

"We're very happy to welcome ThayerMahan's world leading autonomous maritime solutions to New Bedford's growing ocean cluster and by the company's commitment to hiring local," said Jennifer Downing, Executive Director of the New Bedford Ocean Cluster (NBOC). "ThayerMahan's partnership with UMass Dartmouth is particularly exciting as it will help to prepare our local workforce for future job opportunities as the company continues to expand its operations in New Bedford. We are once again seeing an exciting first for U.S. offshore wind unfold in the Port of New Bedford, further solidifying Massachusetts and New Bedford as a leading hub for the industry."

Vineyard Wind recently submitted its first annual report to the state compiled by UMass Dartmouth and Springline Research Group that found Vineyard Wind more than doubled early estimates for the number of jobs created and dollars invested.

An 800-megawatt project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Vineyard Wind will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.

About Vineyard Wind

Vineyard Wind LLC is an offshore wind development company that is building the first commercial-scale offshore wind energy project in the U.S., to be located 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard. Vineyard Wind 1, based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, is 50 percent owned by funds of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and 50 percent by Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR). For more information, visit www.vineyardwind.com.

About ThayerMahan

ThayerMahan, Inc. is a maritime technology company dedicated to providing its government and commercial clients with turn-key autonomous marine solutions, including deployment, operations, data gathering, and analysis services, using state-of-the-art acoustic and electronic sensors integrated on a variety of host platforms tailored to specific mission criteria. ThayerMahan is a market leader in marine services support to the USOW industry including Acoustic Mitigation and Monitoring to protect marine mammals, precision seabed surveying, and UXO/MEC survey and remediation. The company is headquartered in Groton, CT with additional locations in Lexington, MA, Boston, Washington, DC and now New Bedford, MA. For more information, please visit www.thayermahan.com/sectors/offshore-renewables or contact Richard Hine at rhine@thayermahan.com.

Contact: Andrew Doba | adoba@vineyardwind.com | 203-850-7400