Written by
Nick Blenkey
Picture: Ørsted
In a milestone improvement for U.S. offshore wind, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul yesterday introduced the completion of the landmark South Fork Wind project, with all 12 offshore wind generators constructed and the wind farm efficiently delivering energy to Lengthy Island and the Rockaways. The announcement gave New York state the bragging rights of changing into dwelling to America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm.
“Once I broke floor on the South Fork challenge, I made a promise to construct a cleaner, greener future for all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul mentioned. “I’m conserving to that promise and South Fork Wind is now delivering clear power to tens of hundreds of houses and companies on Lengthy Island. With extra initiatives within the pipeline, that is just the start of New York’s offshore wind future and I look ahead to continued partnership with the Biden Administration and native leaders to construct a clear and resilient power grid.”
Amongst these current for the formal announcement was U.S. Secretary of the Inside Deb Haaland.
“We’re thrilled to have a good time the completion of the South Fork challenge, which can ship 130 megawatts of wind power to Lengthy Island,” mentioned Secretary Haaland. “That’s sufficient to energy greater than 70,000 houses and companies! At this time is additional proof that America’s clear power transition shouldn’t be a dream for a distant future – it’s taking place proper right here and now.”
“As a substitute of denying local weather change, the Biden-Harris Administration is constructing the infrastructure that enables us to tackle this disaster,” mentioned Nationwide Local weather Advisor to President Biden Ali Zaid. Underneath President Biden, we’re constructing an American offshore wind trade that prompts factories, ports, and shipyards throughout the nation, catalyzes Made in America provide chains, and prioritizes our staff and communities. With the South Fork Wind challenge now full and extra underway – all authorised and supported by the Biden-Harris Administration – we have a good time the huge progress that’s been achieved due to robust partnerships with leaders like Governor Hochul. This historic milestone won’t solely advance President Biden’s formidable local weather targets but in addition create good-paying jobs, strengthen our energy grid, help staff and improve the standard of life for all New Yorkers.”
All 12 of South Fork Wind’s generators are put in and the wind farm is delivering clear energy to the native Lengthy Island electrical grid, with commissioning in its ultimate stage. The renewable power is generated roughly 35 miles off the coast of Montauk, and can eradicate as much as six million tons of carbon emissions over the lifetime of the challenge, the equal of taking 60,000 vehicles off the street for the subsequent twenty years.
South Fork Wind is a joint improvement by Ørsted and Eversource Vitality.
Ørsted Group EVP and CEO Americas David Hardy mentioned, “From the primary metal within the water to the ultimate turbine, our hard-working offshore wind building workforce has put South Fork Wind on the trail to creating American power historical past. We’re extremely pleased with our devoted challenge, allow and building groups, and all those that have made this milestone doable. We’re grateful, too, for the large management of the Biden and Hochul administrations, and for the steadfast help of the East Hampton group and past.”
Eversource Vitality chairman, president and CEO Joe Nolan mentioned, “We’re extremely proud to finish South Fork Wind, the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm in federal waters. Because of the native union staff and contractors who helped us construct South Fork Wind’s transmission system and onshore substation, clear power is flowing to the Lengthy Island grid. Constructing South Fork Wind was a real regional effort and couldn’t have been realized with out the help and funding in ports at ProvPort in Rhode Island and the New London State Pier in Connecticut.”
First authorised by the Lengthy Island Energy Authority (LIPA) Board of Trustees in 2017, South Fork Wind started building in February 2022, starting with the onshore export cable system that hyperlinks the challenge to the Lengthy Island electrical grid. The wind farm reached its “metal within the water” milestone in June 2023 with the set up of the challenge’s first monopile basis, and its ultimate turbine was put in in February.
South Fork Wind’s profitable completion helps progress towards New York’s Local weather Management and Neighborhood Safety Act necessities to realize 70% renewable power by 2030 and set up 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. This milestone follows Gov. Hochul’s latest announcement of two offshore wind challenge awards, Empire Wind I and Dawn Wind, for over 1,730 megawatts and $2 billion in near-term financial improvement investments.
South Fork Wind’s generators have been staged and assembled by native union staff at State Pier in New London, Connecticut. The challenge’s superior basis elements have been accomplished by native union staff at Ørsted and Eversource’s fabrication hub at ProvPort, in Rhode Island. Its crew vessels and crew change helicopter are based mostly out of Quonset Level, Rhode Island. South Fork Wind contains the primary U.S.-built offshore wind substation, constructed by greater than 350 U.S. staff throughout three states, with New York union staff supporting its set up offshore.
Lengthy Island-based contractor Haugland Vitality Group LLC (an affiliate of Haugland Group LLC), put in the underground duct financial institution system for South Fork Wind’s onshore transmission line and led the development of the challenge’s onshore interconnection facility. LS Cable put in and jointed the onshore cables with help from Lengthy Island’s Elecnor Hawkeye. The onshore cable scope of labor alone created greater than 100 union jobs for Lengthy Island expert trades staff. Roman Stone, additionally on Lengthy Island, manufactured concrete mattresses to guard the undersea cables, and Ljungstrom, positioned in western New York, in partnership with Riggs Distler & Firm, Inc., offered specialised structural steelwork.
