Equinor enters into union agreement in the USA – E24

Equinor has signed a federal agreement for its South Brooklyn base, which will supply the Empire Wind offshore wind project off New York.

The agreement was entered into between Empire Wind and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and Contiguous Areas (BCTC), according to message.

They have signed what will be the first such agreement for Equinor in the United States. collective agreement (Chinese People's Liberation Army) is linked to the construction of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which will be the land base for the Empire Wind offshore wind project.

Construction of the station is scheduled to begin next week, with the demolition of existing buildings, excavations and preparations to build physical barriers at the site. Among the companies with contracts linked to the agreement are Skanska, Nexans and GE-BOND, Equinor says.

Equinor and BP jointly own the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects, but recently decided to retain each of these projects.

Investing tens of billions

Equinor has just won an auction in New York for the 810-megawatt Empire Wind 1 project, and will now negotiate with authorities a final power sales agreement for the project. The plan is to develop another 1,260 megawatts in the second phase of the project later.

The company expects to make an investment decision for the first project later this year. Empire Wind 1 is set to leverage Equinor's reported investment by US$1.2 billion (NOK 12.5 billion) in 2024 and US$1.5 billion (NOK 15.7 billion) in 2025, before any project is financed.

The agreement now concluded will guarantee workers' conditions and safety when building the plant. The project will provide more than 1,000 job opportunities and union training, in addition to indirect jobs, according to the report.

“This labor agreement ensures that construction of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal provides union jobs with family-sustaining wages, industry-leading safety standards and strong, equitable training programs to help New York communities enter this new industry,” said Molly Morris. , who leads Equinor's renewable energy business in North and South America.

She praises, among other things, local authorities and Senator Chuck Schumer for their help in launching the project. Industry costs have increased, and Equinor is struggling to achieve profitability on some of its projects. The company has previously written down the value of offshore wind projects in the United States.

Satisfied union

In the past, Equinor and BP have invested several million dollars in collaboration with local organizations through their companies Offshore Wind Ecosystem Fund. The goal should be to train workers for the offshore wind industry.

BCTC has about 100,000 members who work in construction in the New York area, according to Equinor State.

Offshore wind development not only contributes to New York's climate goals, but also provides opportunities to start thousands of good-paying union jobs, strengthen the middle class and provide much-needed economic stimulus to our communities, says BCTC President Gary LaBarbera. Release.