New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completed installation of the first of 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine generators at South Fork Wind, an offshore wind project being developed by Orsted and Eversource.
Once completed, the 132 MW project, located 35 miles off the coast of Montauk, New York, will address the Long Island electric grid’s growing reliability issues, generate enough renewable energy to power nearly 70,000 local homes, and eliminate up to 6 million tons of carbon emissions – the equivalent of removing 60,000 cars from the road annually over a 25-year period.
“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,” Governor 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 wind turbine generator was installed by Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel – the Aeolus. To install the turbine, a crane placed the steel turbine tower onto the foundation. Then, the nacelle and rotor were installed on top of the tower. Finally, the blades were bolted one by one to the rotor. In total, hundreds of workers and three Northeast ports have supported South Fork Wind’s construction, helping to create a new domestic supply chain and local union jobs across the Northeast.
First approved by the LIPA Board of Trustees in 2017, project construction commenced in February 2022, beginning with the onshore export cable system that links the project to the local energy grid, which was completed in early 2023. The project reached its “steel in the water” milestone in June 2023 with the installation of the project’s first monopile foundation.
All 12 wind turbine generators are projected to be installed by early 2024, and according to reports, the South Fork Wind project will be the first utility-scale wind farm to be completed in federal waters in the United States.
The project will actively progress New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s goal of installing 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035.
