In a significant stride for the US offshore wind sector, the first domestically constructed offshore wind substation has been completed and is en route to the South Fork Wind project. Offshore substations play a crucial role in collecting and stabilizing the power generated by wind turbines, preparing it for transmission to the mainland. This milestone achievement marks a pivotal moment for the US offshore wind industry.
The substation, weighing 1,500 tons and standing at a height of 60 feet, was designed and engineered in Kansas before being built near Corpus Christi by Kiewit Offshore Services, the leading offshore fabricator in the United States. Departing from Kiewit's factory, the substation will undertake a voyage across the Gulf of Mexico and up the East Coast to Long Island, where it will be installed in a few weeks.
David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted, expressed his excitement about the completion of South Fork Wind's offshore wind substation, emphasizing its significance in moving the project closer to its next phase of development—"steel in the water." South Fork Wind, a collaboration between Danish wind industry leader Ørsted and energy provider Eversource, is expected to become the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in US federal waters when it becomes operational in 2023.
With cable laying currently underway and the installation of monopile foundations on the horizon, progress is steadily advancing. Once completed, the 132 MW, 12-turbine South Fork Wind project will generate enough clean energy to power approximately 70,000 homes in New York.
The achievement of constructing the first US-built offshore wind substation underscores the growing momentum in the country's renewable energy transition. As the offshore wind industry gains traction, it opens up opportunities for sustainable power generation and positions the US as a significant player in the global renewable energy landscape.
Categories: New York, Energy