First Turbine Up at First Commercial-Scale Offshore Wind Farm in US

October 19, 2023, by Adnan Memija

DEME’s jack-up Sea Installer has installed the first GE Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbine at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind project in the US.

First Turbine Vineyard Wind — *Source: Vineyard Wind*

The completed turbine is comprised of one tower, three 351-foot-long blades (about 107 metres), and a nacelle. The fully assembled unit represents the largest turbine in the western world, with a nameplate capacity of 13 MW, capable of providing power to more than 6,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts, said Avangrid.

“While this is a landmark for this first-in-the-nation project and the industry, we remain focused on the important work ahead to continue the successful installation campaign of these massive turbines and deliver the first power to Massachusetts homes and businesses this year,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO.

Located some 15 miles (approximately 24 kilometres) off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Wind 1 will comprise 62 GE Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbines planned to be installed by DEME’s jack-up Sea Installer.

The wind turbine components were transported from the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal to the project’s development area by the Mermac and the Foss Prevailing Wind barges.

Vineyard Wind, a 50-50 joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) funds CI II and CI III, began offshore construction in late 2022, achieved steel-in-the-water in June, and completed the country’s first offshore substation in July.

In July 2021, Vineyard Wind signed the first Project Labor Agreement for an offshore wind project in the US, which outlined the creation of 500 union jobs through the project.

State Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral said, “To see the fully constructed Wind Turbine Generator is to realize the promise of the Offshore Wind industry – clean, green jobs; new green energy to combat the climate crisis and reduce rates for consumers; and the successful collaboration between our public, private, and Labor partners.”

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The 806 MW wind project is expected to generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers USD 1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.

Vineyard Wind 1 is the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm to be approved for construction in the US.