On May 24th, Orsted and Eversource celebrated the departure of the first American-built offshore wind substation from a fabrication facility in Texas. This significant milestone marks a crucial step forward in the development of the South Fork Wind project, which aims to provide renewable energy to Long Island, New York. The substation, designed and constructed by Kiewit Offshore Services, will make its way across the Gulf of Mexico and up the East Coast before being installed at the project site in the coming weeks.
The 1500-ton, 60-foot-tall substation was meticulously built at Kiewit's Ingleside facility near Corpus Christi. Over 350 workers from three different states contributed to the construction of this impressive structure, which will be situated on a monopile foundation within the wind farm. Once operational, it will collect the power generated by the wind turbines and connect it to the grid, enabling the delivery of clean energy to the region.
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The design and engineering of the substation took place in Kansas, while the fabrication was carried out in Texas. Its final installation will occur in New York, exemplifying the collaboration and cross-state cooperation required to advance the offshore wind industry in the United States.
David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Orsted, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “We're putting American ingenuity to work as we build out a domestic offshore wind energy supply chain with investments and job opportunities spanning the Northeast, down to Texas and across the Gulf Coast region. The completion of South Fork Wind's offshore wind substation is yet another first for this groundbreaking project and moves us one step closer to the project's first ‘steel in the water.'”
Orsted and Eversource are at the forefront of expanding the American offshore wind energy industry, a sector that is driving job creation and economic development across the nation. The South Fork Wind project is currently in its offshore construction phase, with the submarine cable installation underway from East Hampton to the wind farm site near Montauk, New York. In the upcoming weeks, the installation of monopile foundations will commence, further progressing the project's development.
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Various vessels from Gulf ports are lending their support to the construction efforts of South Fork Wind, highlighting the collaborative nature of this venture. The project is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2023, paving the way for a greener and more sustainable energy future for Long Island, New York.
