First Turbine Stands at New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm

November 21, 2023, by Adnan Memija

The first Siemens Gamesa 11 MW wind turbine has been installed at the South Fork Wind Farm offshore New York.

The first of South Fork Wind’s twelve Siemens Gamesa wind turbines was hoisted into place by the offshore construction team at the project site 35 miles off Montauk, New York.

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First approved by the Long Island Power Authority (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.

Last month, the first wind turbine components for the offshore wind farm were loaded onto a barge at the State Pier Terminal in New London, Connecticut.

Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel, the Aeolus, is installing the turbines. All twelve turbines are expected to be installed by the end of 2023 or early 2024.

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“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. 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,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

The 132 MW South Fork offshore wind farm is located some 30 kilometres (19 miles) southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island, and around 56 kilometres (35 miles) east of Montauk Point, New York.

All monopile foundations and the project’s offshore substation were installed this summer, and the wind turbine components started arriving in New London around the same time.

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“Today, South Fork Wind is making history. With the first turbine up, New York will soon start receiving clean, renewable energy powered by offshore wind,” said Joe Nolan, Eversource Energy President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman.

“South Fork Wind is setting the stage for the many benefits that offshore wind will provide and puts the town of East Hampton at the forefront of the region’s efforts to create a more modernized and reliable grid, which will help us fight against the devastating impacts of climate change.”

South Fork Wind, for which Ørsted and Eversource reached the final investment decision (FID) at the beginning of last year, will be New York’s first offshore wind farm and the first commercial-scale project of this kind to be built in the US.

Once in operation, South Fork Wind will be supported by US-built crew transfer vessels (CTV) and eventually by America’s first offshore wind service operations vessel (SOV), Edison Chouest Offshore’s ECO Edison.