Orsted and Eversource Energy have successfully installed the 704MW Revolution Wind project’s first turbine, off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Revolution Wind will utilize 65 Siemens Gamesa machines, the same 11MW model used at the recently completed South Fork Wind.
Offshore construction crews continue to make steady progress installing the foundations for the turbines, with more than three-quarters of the bases now in place offshore.
Once in operation, Revolution Wind will have the capacity to generate 400MW of clean, affordable offshore wind power for Rhode Island and 304MW for Connecticut.
This is enough to power more than 350,000 homes and bring both states closer to reaching their climate targets, the developers said.
The project is directly creating roughly 1200 jobs across Rhode Island and Connecticut and accelerating the states’ clean energy sectors with significant investments in workforce development, union partnerships, shipbuilding, and port infrastructure, they added.
Group executive vice president and chief executive for the Americas at Orsted David Hardy said: “Seeing the first turbine rise above the water at Revolution Wind is another unforgettable moment for this new American energy industry we’re building together.
“Revolution Wind is bringing local union jobs and economic development to Rhode Island and Connecticut, and it will deliver clean offshore wind power to hundreds of thousands of homes in the region.
“We thank our state and federal partners, our hard-working construction, marine and safety teams, and our local labor, port, and supply chain partners, as we continue building this historic project.”
Eversource Energy chairman, president, and chief executive Joe Nolan added: “Today we celebrate a major offshore wind milestone with the installation of the first turbine for Revolution Wind, and it is a milestone made possible by the hundreds of hardworking tradesmen and women at our region’s ports.
“From building and marshaling the turbine foundations to constructing the onshore transmission system, the work happening at State Pier, ProvPort and Quonset is making this first-of-its-kind, multi-state offshore wind project a reality.
“We look forward to continuing our progress and, for the first time, bringing commercial-scale, 100% renewable offshore wind energy to Rhode Island and Connecticut.”