First offshore turbine installed in New York’s South Fork Wind

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the installation of the first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind, a milestone for New York’s offshore wind development and what will be the first completed utility-scale wind farm in the U.S. federal waters. Once completed, the 130-MW offshore wind farm will address a growing reliability challenge for Long Island’s electrical grid, while also generating enough renewable energy to power approximately 70,000 Long Island homes. It’s the first offshore wind turbine supporting the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to install 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035.

Credit: NYSERDA

“New York is paving the way towards a clean energy future, and the installation of our first offshore wind turbine marks a momentous step forward,” Hochul said. “We are not only generating clean energy, but also pioneering a healthy and safe environment for future generations of New Yorkers. We are shaping a brighter, greener tomorrow, committed to a future where innovation and sustainability go hand in hand.”

The first of South Fork Wind’s 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine generators was hoisted into place by the offshore construction team at the project site 35 miles off Montauk. Hundreds of U.S. workers and three Northeast ports have supported South Fork Wind’s construction, helping erect the foundations of a new domestic supply chain that’s creating local union jobs across the Northeast. All 12 turbines are expected to be installed by the end of 2023 or early 2024.

First approved by the LIPA 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 the local energy grid, which was completed early this year. The wind farm reached its “steel in the water” milestone in June 2023 with the installation of the project’s first monopile foundation.

Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel, the Aeolus, is installing the turbines. Turbine installation involves using a crane to place the steel turbine tower onto the foundation. The nacelle and rotor are then installed on top of the tower. Lastly, the blades are lifted and installed one by one by bolting them to the rotor. Click here to learn more about how offshore wind farms are constructed.

Once in operation, South Fork Wind will be supported by U.S.-built crew transfer vessels and eventually by America’s first offshore wind Service Operations Vessel.

Earlier this month, New York made the largest state investment in renewable energy in U.S. history. The conditional awards included three offshore wind and 22 land-based renewable energy projects totaling 6.4 GW of clean energy, enough to power 2.6 million New York homes and deliver approximately 12% of New York’s electricity needs once completed. When coupled with two marquee offshore wind blade and nacelle manufacturing facilities, this portfolio of newly announced projects is expected to create approximately 8,300 family-sustaining jobs and spur $20 billion in economic development investments statewide, including developer-committed investments to support disadvantaged communities.

News item from NYSERDA

Filed Under: News, Offshore wind, Projects