Ørsted and Eversource’s Offshore Wind Project Gets Critical CRMC Approval
Friday, June 04, 2021
The South Fork offshore wind project being developed by Ørsted and Eversource received approval from the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council this week.
The approval moves the project forward and makes the major wind project titled Revolution Wind closer to reality -- a project that is poised to be a major employer and have a significant impact on the RI economy.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe CRMC decision functionally resolves the dispute between the commercial fishing industry — the CRMC Fishermen’s Advisory Board (FAB) — and the offshore wind developers.
“We’re pleased that the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council has approved a consistency concurrence for South Fork Wind, advancing this important offshore wind farm, which will coexist with other ocean uses and bring much-needed jobs and clean energy to the region,” said Meaghan Wims, spokesperson for the project.
The FAB and the companies had been in negotiations for months on the project.
As part of the agreement, the companies agreed to pay a one-time lump sum payment of $5.2 million to be payable to the Rhode Island Fishermen’s Viability Trust within 60 days of financial close on the South Fork Wind project.
Revolution has promised that the South Fork project will be an economic boon to Rhode Island and the region.
According to the companies, the Revolution Wind project will have a significant workforce impact:
- Approximately 460 construction jobs for the redevelopment of State Pier
- Supply chain and workforce development for the growing offshore wind industry in Connecticut and Rhode Island
- Estimated 1,200 direct construction jobs and dozens of permanent operations and maintenance jobs in Connecticut and Rhode Island combined
-Thousands of other indirect or induced jobs to support our project work, through our investments in the local economy, and partnerships with area suppliers
Revolution Wind Announces Major Agreement
Earlier this week, Dominion Energy, Ørsted and Eversource announced an agreement for Ørsted and Eversource to charter Dominion Energy’s Charybdis, the first Jones Act-qualified offshore wind turbine installation vessel in the United States, for the construction of two offshore wind farms in the Northeast.
Charybdis, which is expected to be sea ready by late 2023, will first be deployed out of New London harbor to support the construction of Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind, both under joint development by Ørsted and Eversource, to serve nearly one million homes in Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York. Once complete, the two projects will generate more than 1.6 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy.
The charter’s terms will allow the vessel, subject to state regulatory approval, to support construction of Dominion Energy’s 2.6 gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project off the coast of Virginia Beach, which is expected, consistent with prior guidance, to be completed in 2026.
The 472-foot vessel is being constructed in Brownsville, Texas, at global marine shipbuilder firm Keppel AmFELS’s shipyard, using domestically sourced steel. At peak construction, 1,000 U.S. workers will be employed on this project. Once complete, the vessel will be homeported in Hampton Roads, Va., one of the nation’s premier offshore wind installation harbors, and utilize an American crew.
The vessel's hull and infrastructure will be fabricated with more than 14,000 tons of domestic steel, with nearly 10,000 tons sourced from Alabama, West Virginia and North Carolina suppliers. The vessel is designed to handle current turbine technologies as well as next-generation turbine sizes of 12 megawatts or larger. It will also be capable of the installation of foundations for turbines.
For use on Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind, the vessel will work from State Pier in New London, Conn., another of the nation’s premier offshore wind installation harbors. Utilizing State Pier for wind turbine transportation and installation will employ longshoremen, stevedores, technicians, crane operators, electricians, welders, quality inspectors, and other building and construction trades jobs.
“Offshore wind is critical to America’s clean-energy future and the Charybdis plays a vital role in reaching the Biden Administration’s ambitious goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind production by 2030,” said Bob Blue, Dominion Energy’s chair, president and chief executive officer. “We look forward to working with Ørsted and Eversource on the construction of Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind to continue to grow the offshore wind industry in the U.S.”
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