South Fork Wind Set for Installation of First Wind Turbine Offshore
Final Stage of Construction Now Underway at New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm
NEW LONDON, CONN. – November 1, 2023 – South Fork Wind has shipped the first offshore wind turbine from the Port of New London, Connecticut, to the project’s offshore site, marking the start of the final construction phase for this historic, New York-first offshore wind farm.
The first of South Fork Wind’s 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine generators – pre-assembled tower sections; a nacelle; and three blades each longer than a football field – was loaded onto a U.S.-flagged transport barge pulled by two U.S.-flagged tugboats destined for the project site 35 miles off Montauk, New York. The first turbine will be installed in the coming days.
Ørsted and Eversource’s South Fork Wind is making progress toward delivering clean offshore wind power to Long Island in 2023. The wind farm supports New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to develop 9,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2035 as required by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act).
Hundreds of U.S. workers and three Northeast ports have supported South Fork Wind’s construction, helping to stand up the foundations of a new domestic supply chain that’s creating local union jobs across the Northeast.
Once completed, the 130-megawatt offshore wind farm will generate enough renewable energy to power roughly 70,000 Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) customers, while eliminating up to 6 million tons of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road annually over a 25-year period.
“South Fork Wind is a trailblazing project for American clean energy,” said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “The upcoming installation of this first turbine has been nearly a decade in the making and will stand as a testament not just to our hardworking teams but also to all those who have long supported this historic project. We have busy weeks ahead, but we’re now closer to fulfilling the promise of clean energy for Long Island’s East End and the growth of a new industry for New York.”
“From the first shovel in the ground to now witnessing the shipment of the first turbine to the project site, today marks an exciting moment for New York’s first offshore wind farm and the dedicated workers who contributed to this achievement,” said Joe Nolan, Eversource Energy’s President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman. “Soon, through our newly built onshore substation, South Fork Wind will provide renewable energy to nearly 70,000 homes and move New York closer to achieving its clean energy objectives.”
"The forthcoming installation of this first turbine at South Fork Wind is a momentous step for one of the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind projects and will help advance the State’s pursuit of a zero-emissions grid,” said Doreen Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA. “New York is on the leading edge of our nation's offshore wind revolution, and we congratulate our partners, Ørsted, Eversource and LIPA on this incredible achievement."
“South Fork Wind is a landmark project showcasing that New York is leading the way to our clean energy future,” said Thomas Falcone, CEO of LIPA. “We are proud to support this project, paving the way for New York’s first offshore wind farm as we look to build a sustainable future for our 1.2 million customers on Long Island and in the Rockaways.”
“A project like South Fork Wind represents the next generation of renewable energy in the United States and years of hard work by our partners and us to make today a reality,” said Marc Becker, Offshore CEO at Siemens Gamesa. “We look forward to continuing to buildout this project, alongside Ørsted and Eversource, to generate and deliver 130 megawatts of clean electricity to the people of New York.”
First approved by LIPA’s Board of Trustees in 2017, South Fork Wind began construction in February 2022, beginning with the onshore export cable system that links the project to LIPA’s energy grid. The wind farm reached its “steel in the water” milestone in June 2023 and has completed the onshore substation, and installation offshore of the turbine foundations, advanced foundation components, the first U.S.-built offshore wind substation, and the array and export cables that bring the power to shore.
Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel, the Aeolus, will install the turbines. Click here to learn more about how offshore wind farms are constructed.
Once in operations, South Fork Wind will be supported by U.S.-built crew transfer vessels and eventually by America’s first offshore wind Service Operations Vessel. The wind farm’s construction has already been served by the first helicopters supporting the U.S. offshore wind industry, based out of Quonset State Airport, Rhode Island.
About Ørsted
A global clean energy leader, Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and land-based wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants. Ørsted is the first energy company in the world with a science-based net-zero emissions target as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
In the United States, the company has approximately 700 employees and a growing portfolio of clean energy assets and partnerships that includes offshore wind energy, land-based wind energy, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. A leader across the renewable energy sector in the United States, Ørsted holds the top position in offshore wind energy with approximately 5 gigawatts in development and operates America’s first offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Block Island. Ørsted has a total U.S. land-based capacity of 5 gigawatts across wind, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. To learn more about the Ørsted U.S. business, visit us.orsted.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ØrstedUS).
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is the #1 energy company in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2023 and recognized as one of America’s Most JUST Companies. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to approximately 4.4 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,900 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.
Media Contact
Meaghan Wims
401-261-1641
mwims@duffyshanley.com
A global clean energy leader, Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and land-based wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants. Ørsted is the first energy company in the world with a science-based net-zero emissions target as validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
In the United States, the company has approximately 700 employees and a growing portfolio of clean energy assets and partnerships that includes offshore wind energy, land-based wind energy, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. A leader across the renewable energy sector in the United States, Ørsted holds the top position in offshore wind energy with approximately 5 gigawatts in development and operates America’s first offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Block Island. Ørsted has a total U.S. land-based capacity of 5 gigawatts across wind, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. To learn more about the Ørsted U.S. business, visit us.orsted.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ØrstedUS).
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is the #1 energy company in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2023 and recognized as one of America’s Most JUST Companies. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to approximately 4.4 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,900 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.
Media Contact
Meaghan Wims
401-261-1641
mwims@duffyshanley.com