Ground has been broken in the US state of New Jersey at a site that will provide a staging, assembly and manufacturing location for the offshore wind sector.
Earthworks will begin on-site in the coming weeks and major construction is due to start in December at the New Jersey Wind Port.
The aim is for the port to be opened in winter 2023/2024.
The port has the potential to create up to 1500 manufacturing, assembly and operations jobs, as well as hundreds of union construction jobs in New Jersey, according to the state’s Governor Phil Murphy.
It will be located on an artificial island on the eastern shores of the Delaware River, southwest of the City of Salem.
The site was selected in June 2020 after a 22-month assessment process.
In addition to a groundbreaking, a project labor agreement was signed between AECOM-Tishman, construction manager for the project, and the United Building Trades Council of Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO.
Murphy said: “Investing in offshore wind is vital to building a stronger, greener economy that creates high-paying jobs to support a robust recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and paves the way for long-term, equitable growth.
“The New Jersey Wind Port will create thousands of high-quality jobs, bring millions of investment dollars to our state, and establish New Jersey as the national capital of offshore wind.”
“The New Jersey Wind Port represents the kind of technological innovation, broad-based partnership, and bold investment that we need to meet the climate challenge and create good jobs and an inclusive workforce in our country.
“This project and the good jobs that come with it serves as an important model for future infrastructure investments in this country.”
In June, Murphy signed the Fiscal Year 2022 state budget, which included $200m allocated for the development of the New Jersey Wind Port.
The funding is in addition to $13m from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and $44m in partnership with New Jersey Department of Transportation for dredging.