Abstract
Beacon Wind, LLC (Beacon Wind) has prepared this Site Assessment Plan (SAP) in support of the installation and operation of one Floating Light Detection and Ranging (Floating LiDAR) buoy, two current meter moorings, and two wave and metocean buoys (collectively referred to as Metocean Equipment). The Floating LiDAR buoy is located in Official Protraction Diagram Block Island Shelf NK19-10 Block 6128, one metocean and one subsurface current meter buoy located in Official Protraction Diagram Block Island Shelf NK19-10 Block 6129, and one metocean and one subsurface current meter mooring in Protraction Diagram Block Island Shelf NK19-10 Block 6178 (Lease Area 0520; Figure 1-1). Beacon Wind intends to relocate the equipment previously approved and deployed within Lease Area OCS-A 0512 (Empire Wind) into Lease Area OCS-A 0520 (Lease Area). Beacon Wind will continue working with RPS Group Inc. (RPS) for the buoy equipment as RPS designed and maintained this equipment for the Empire Wind deployments. The Floating LiDAR Buoy, RPS Wave and Metocean Buoys, and subsurface current meter moorings are equipped with three CM-04 Acoustic Current Meters and three Seabird SBE37 conductivity and temperature-CT loggers (CM/CT Mooring [collectively referred to as the Metocean Facilities]) as the proposed meteorological and metocean data collection technologies, respectively.
Beacon Wind will continue working with RPS Group Inc. (RPS) for the buoy equipment as RPS designed and maintained this equipment for the Empire Wind deployments. The Floating LiDAR Buoy, RPS Wave and Metocean Buoys, and subsurface current meter moorings are equipped with three CM-04 Acoustic Current Meters and three Seabird SBE37 conductivity and temperature-CT loggers (CM/CT Mooring [collectively referred to as the Metocean Facilities]) as the proposed meteorological and metocean data
collection technologies, respectively. As described in the Empire Wind Site Assessment Plan the equipment has the following mitigating benefits:
- Buoy power systems with 100% renewable charging sources, avoiding backup generators and subsequent emissions and potential for fuel spills;
- Power supply, data storage and mooring integrity that reduces service visit frequency and disturbance to marine life and other users of the marine environment;
- Mooring designs that are fully recoverable, using techniques that reduce the footprint of anchors and remove dynamic heavy chains in contact with the seabed; and
- Subsurface acoustic mooring recovery systems that reduce the risk of entanglement of marine life.