US Offshore Wind Will Require Vast Amount of Cable by 2028

SubCableWorld (SCW) a leading news and information service for the submarine cable industry, has completed an analysis of US offshore wind cable demand for a 10-year period from 2019 through 2028. As there are still many variables in the US offshore wind market, SubCableWorld generated three scenarios to model demand for offshore wind cable. These suggested demand, ranging from 6,500 kilometers to 12,000 kilometers of cable to be contracted for by 2028.

The market for offshore wind cable in the US is beginning to take shape. The clear commitment by the Northeastern states to develop offshore wind on an ambitious timetable has generated strong momentum for the industry after years of frustration. As the US has no domestic offshore wind cable manufacturing at this time, the impact of a strong US market on the supply chain needs to be understood.

“Our models began with a baseline using the procurements that already have been announced by the states. This alone resulted in 6,500 kilometers, much of which will be contracted for in the next five years,” said John Manock, editor of SubCableWorld and author of the research. “We then factored in the variables such as future state procurements and the deployment of floating wind technology and saw demand shoot up to 12,000 kilometers over 10 years. For the US offshore wind market to fully blossom, a domestic supply chain will have to be developed, particularly for cable, to meet demand on this scale. The first steps towards this are being taken, but it is important for the industry to understand the full magnitude of the potential US offshore wind cable market in order to build an adequate supply chain.

Liz Burdock, CEO and President of the Business Network for Offshore Wind said, “We are very excited to be working with John Manock and SubCableWorld on this critical element of the US offshore wind energy supply chain. As John states in his report, there is currently just one US offshore wind cable (OWC) manufacturer, but a cable supply chain can be created relatively quickly if the industry understands the growing demand and moves quickly to meet it. We thank SCW for starting this important conversation, and urge everyone interested in the US offshore wind market and supply chain to read it and act accordingly.”