Image: Ørsted
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has issued its Record of Decision (ROD) approving the plan for development and operations of Ørsted’s Ocean Wind 1. To be positioned about 13 nautical miles southeast of Atlantic City, the 1,100 MW undertaking is the primary New Jersey offshore wind farm to realize federal approval.
This marks the Biden administration’s third approval of a commercial-scale, offshore wind vitality undertaking within the United States, becoming a member of the Vineyard Wind undertaking offshore Massachusetts and the South Fork Wind undertaking offshore Rhode Island and New York, each now beneath development and with metal within the water. It can be the primary Record of Decision issued for a undertaking whose overview began beneath the Biden administration.
The Record of Decision (ROD) paperwork the choice to approve Ocean Wind LLC’s plan to assemble as much as 98 wind generators and as much as three offshore substations inside its lease space.
According to Ørsted, with this milestone, Ocean Wind 1 stays on monitor to start onshore development actions within the fall of 2023, with offshore development ramping up in 2024.
While incidents resembling whale strandings have seen some native political figures name for a moratorium on offshore wind growth, the ROD additionally paperwork the in depth vary of monitoring and mitigation measures that Ocean Wind will undertake to cut back the potential for impacts to protected species, resembling marine mammals, sea turtles, and Atlantic sturgeon. These measures embrace vessel pace restrictions and clearance zones throughout development. Ocean Wind has additionally dedicated to a few fisheries mitigation applications: a direct compensation program for reimbursement of misplaced revenues, a navigational security fund for navigation tools upgrades, and a reimbursement program for misplaced or broken business fishing gear. BOEM labored with tribes, federal, state, and native authorities companies and reviewed feedback offered by business, ocean customers, and different key companions and stakeholders to develop these measures.
“Since Day One, the Biden-Harris administration has worked to jump-start the offshore wind industry across the country – and today’s approval for the Ocean Wind 1 project is another milestone in our efforts to create good-paying union jobs while combatting climate change and powering our nation,” stated Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “By working closely with state and local leaders, tribes, ocean users, and other stakeholders, we are moving forward with responsible clean energy development that will benefit communities, while also mitigating potential impacts on the environment or marine life.”
“Ocean Wind 1 represents another significant step forward for the offshore wind industry in the United States,” stated BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “The project’s approval demonstrates the federal government’s commitment to developing clean energy and fighting climate change and is a testament to the state of New Jersey’s leadership in supporting sustainable sources of energy and economic development for coastal communities.”
“Ocean Wind 1 is on the cusp of making history as construction on New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm is set to begin in a few short months, delivering on the promise of good-paying jobs, local investment and clean energy,” stated David Hardy, group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “We thank those at the federal level, Secretary Haaland, Director Klein and the team at BOEM, and of course, our partners at the State of New Jersey, Governor Murphy, Commissioner LaTourette, President Fiordaliso and staff at the Board of Public Utilities, Tim Sullivan and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and members of the federal delegation and NJ Legislature, past and present, for their leadership and commitment to bringing offshore wind to the Garden State.”
“The announcement of Ocean Wind 1’s Record of Decision today represents a pivotal inflection point not just for Ørsted, but for New Jersey’s nation-leading offshore wind industry as a whole,” stated Gov. Phil Murphy. “By preparing to begin onshore construction this fall, Ocean Wind 1 will help bring New Jersey one crucial step closer to achieving a 100% clean energy economy by 2035 and 11,000 MW of offshore wind power by 2040. Just as importantly, as we continue to cultivate burgeoning new industries while confronting the worsening climate crisis, our state’s first offshore wind project will generate thousands of good-paying union jobs and considerable environmental benefits for generations to come.”
Ørsted says that Ocean Wind 1 will quickly transfer from the event and allowing section to the development section, with onshore actions starting within the fall 2023, together with the undertaking’s onshore underground transmission line and onshore substations.
Offshore set up of the undertaking’s monopile foundations and GE Haliade-X wind generators is predicted to start in 2024. Monopiles for Ocean Wind 1 are being welded, sandblasted and painted at EEW American Offshore Structures’ facility on the Port of Paulsboro, N.J., the primary monopile fabrication facility within the U.S. Ørsted has made important investments within the facility as a part of its dedication to constructing an area offshore wind provide chain. New Jersey-based PSEG will help Ocean Wind 1 with development administration, environmental allowing and compliance companies for the onshore substations and transmission cable set up scope of labor.
The undertaking will generate sufficient electrical energy to offer 500,000 houses and is predicted to start business operations in 2025.
