South Fork Wind, a 50-50 joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource, has approved the final investment decision (FID) for the project that will be New York’s first offshore wind farm.
This final investment solidifies the companies’ commitment to the 132 MW offshore wind farm.
The FID also marked the start of the construction phase of the project.
To be located 56 kilometres (35 miles) east of Montauk Point, New York, and some 30 kilometres (19 miles) southeast of Block Island, South Fork is set to become fully operational at the end of 2023.
The offshore wind farm will comprise twelve 11 MW Siemens Games turbines and will generate enough clean, renewable energy to power 70,000 homes, according to Ørsted and Eversource.
Last month, South Fork Wind received final approval from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for its construction and operations plan.
Offshore installation of the wind farm’s monopile foundations and the 11 MW Siemens Gamesa wind turbines is expected to begin in summer 2023.
Meanwhile, fabrication of the project’s offshore substation is already in process, South Fork Wind developers Ørsted and Eversource said.
The offshore substation will be built by Texas-based Kiewit Offshore Services at its facility in Ingleside, near Corpus Christi. The substation will be the first offshore wind energy substation made in the US.
“The United States represents an important growth market for us, and with seven already-awarded US projects accounting for approximately 5 gigawatts of clean offshore wind energy, Ørsted is leading the growth of a new sustainable industry that will create jobs and economic development along the East Coast and across the United States,” said Martin Neubert , Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy Group CEO at Ørsted.