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The primary of South Fork Wind’s 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine turbines was hoisted into place by Van Oord WTIV Aeolus. [Photo: New York State Governor’s Office]
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday introduced the completion of set up of the primary offshore wind turbine for Ørsted and Eversource’s South Fork Wind, marking a historic milestone for New York’s offshore wind growth and for what would be the first accomplished utility-scale wind farm in U.S.federal waters.
As soon as accomplished, the 130-megawatt offshore wind farm will tackle a rising reliability problem for Lengthy Island’s electrical grid, whereas additionally producing sufficient renewable power to energy roughly 70,000 Lengthy Island houses, eliminating as much as six million tons of carbon emissions, or the equal of taking 60,000 automobiles off the street yearly over a 25-year interval.
“New York is paving the best way in the direction of a clear power future, and the set up of our first offshore wind turbine marks a momentous step ahead,” Gov. Hochul stated. “We aren’t solely producing clear power, but additionally pioneering a wholesome and secure atmosphere for future generations of New Yorkers. We’re shaping a brighter, greener tomorrow, dedicated to a future the place innovation and sustainability go hand in hand.”
Utilizing Van Oord’s wind turbine set up vessel Aeolus, the primary of South Fork Wind’s 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine turbines was hoisted into place by the offshore development workforce on the mission website 35 miles off Montauk, N.Y. All 12 generators are anticipated to be put in by the tip of 2023 or early 2024.
The parts of the turbine – pre-assembled tower sections; a nacelle; and three blades every longer than a soccer area – had been loaded onto a U.S.-flagged transport barge pulled by two U.S.-flagged tugboats and towed to the mission website from the Port of New London, Conn., earlier this month.
Ørsted Group EVP and CEO Americas David Hardy stated, “South Fork Wind’s first turbine is a testomony to American ingenuity and innovation. As we mark this unimaginable milestone, we’re grateful for the exhausting work of our devoted workforce and all our suppliers and contractors, in addition to for the assist of the Biden-Harris administration, the Hochul administration, LIPA, and the East Hampton group for championing this trailblazing mission.”
Eversource Vitality president, chief government officer and chairman Joe Nolan stated, “As we speak, South Fork Wind is making historical past. With the primary turbine up, New York will quickly begin receiving clear, renewable power powered by offshore wind. South Fork Wind is setting the stage for the numerous advantages that offshore wind will present and places the city of East Hampton on the forefront of the area’s efforts to create a extra modernized and dependable grid, which is able to assist us struggle in opposition to the devastating impacts of local weather change.”
First accredited by the LIPA (Lengthy Island Energy Authority) Board of Trustees in 2017, South Fork Wind started development in February 2022, starting with the onshore export cable system that hyperlinks the mission to the native power grid, which was accomplished early this yr. The wind farm reached its “metal within the water” milestone in June 2023 with the set up of the mission’s first monopile basis.
As soon as in operation, South Fork Wind will likely be supported by U.S.-built crew switch vessels and ultimately by America’s first offshore wind service operations vessel (SOV).
