Ørsted Awards Secondary Steel Contract for New Jersey’s First Offshore Wind Farm

Supply Chain

September 21, 2023, by Adnan Memija

Riggs Distler, a subsidiary of infrastructure company Centuri Group, has been selected as a tier 1 secondary steel contractor for 1.1 GW Ocean Wind 1, New Jersey’s first offshore wind project.

Riggs Distler will provide onshore heavy civil, mechanical, and electrical services focused on the construction, assembly, inspection, and onshore installation of advanced foundation components.

Work includes the construction of large, specialized pieces that are critical elements of wind turbine foundations, including boat landings and ladders, external concrete platforms, supported internal platforms, monopile doors, and anode cages.

According to Riggs Distler, the company will employ more than 145 personnel including over 125 skilled tradesmen and women from local labor unions to build the offshore wind foundation components.

Minority-owned, Maryland-based Crystal Steel will be providing 115,000 person-hours to fabricate and deliver the boat landings and ladders for the wind turbine foundations while New York-based LJUNGSTRÖM will collaborate with Riggs Distler to contribute another 60,000 person-hours on the pre-fabrication and delivery of steel components for the turbines.

“From onshore substation, duct bank, and utility interconnection construction, to fabricating, constructing, assembling, inspecting, and providing onshore installation of advanced foundation components for offshore wind farms, we are enabling hundreds of thousands of American homes to be powered by clean energy while building the local supply base to support this exciting renewable industry,” said Steve Zemaitatis, Riggs Distler President and CEO.

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The Smulders Group has signed a transfer of technology agreement with Riggs Distler, Crystal Steel, and LJUNGSTRӦM to support the project with key knowledge transfer.

The 1.1 GW Ocean Wind 1 offshore wind farm is being developed by Ørsted. The project will feature up to 98 GE Haliade-X 12 MW wind turbines and up to three offshore substations within its lease area.

The foundations will be manufactured by EEW American Offshore Structures at its facility in Paulsboro, New Jersey.

Located about 24 kilometres southeast of Atlantic City, Ocean Wind 1 was cleared by the US Department of the Interior in early July.

Last month, Ørsted said that it could book impairments on its US portfolio due to adverse impacts relating to the supply chain, lack of favorable progress in Investment Tax Credit (ITC) guidance, and increased interest rates.