The joint venture of Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has broken ground on the 800MW Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm off the east coast of the US.
A ceremony to commemorate the event was held at Covell’s Beach in Barnstable, the site where two cables will make landfall and connect to the grid at a substation further inland on Cape Cod.
The project is located 24km off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
It will create 3600 full-time equivalent job years, save customers $1.4bn over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million tonnes a year, the developers said.
The project will feature 62 13MW GE Haliade-X turbines.
Vineyard Wind chief executive Lars Pedersen said: “Many people have worked extremely hard to make today possible, a day where we turn forward thinking into action.
“From the environmental and community activists to our elected leadership at the local, state and federal level, it’s taken all of us, pulling in the same direction and not being deterred by setbacks both large and small.
“By focusing on our ultimate goal – developing clean, cost-effective energy that will cut carbon pollution and create thousands of jobs in the process – we never lost sight of what mattered most, and we ultimately have a better project as a result.
“I want to thank everyone for their commitment to and belief in this industry and look forward to celebrating many more milestones in the months ahead.”
Iberdrola chief executive and Avangrid chairman Ignacio Galan said: “Vineyard Wind is on a par with the most ambitious offshore developments globally, including those developed by the Iberdrola Group.
“Not many countries have the ambition to launch their first project at a scale that will power 400,000 homes and create 3600 jobs.
“With 15 years of offshore wind leadership, Iberdrola and Avangrid are more than ready to help the US benefit from the substantial opportunities of offshore wind including economic investment and job creation.
“Our offshore developments in New England and North Carolina/Virginia could represent a total investment well above $15 billion in the coming years.”
Avangrid CEO Dennis Arriola said: “This is an historic moment as we begin constructing the first major offshore wind project in the nation.
“We are proud to lead the way to a cleaner energy future by launching the offshore wind industry.
“The Vineyard Wind 1 project will significantly reduce carbon emissions so that we can have cleaner air and healthier communities, while also creating good paying union jobs and driving economic investment.
“The clean energy future is no longer a dream – it is now a reality.”
CIP co-founder and senior partner Christian Skakkebaek said: “The US offshore wind industry holds tremendous promise for both job creation and reducing carbon pollution, and today’s ground breaking, while historic, is just the first of many steps the industry will take as it grows.
“CIP is excited to be a part of this first project, and we look forward to continuing to invest in and build out the offshore wind industry in the US.”
US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said: “Vineyard Wind 1 represents a historic milestone for advancing our nation’s clean energy production.
“This project and others across the country will create robust and sustainable economies that lift up communities and support good-paying jobs, while also ensuring future generations have a livable planet.
“The Interior Department is committed to responsibly accelerating our nation’s transition to a clean energy future, and doing so in coordination with our partners, stakeholders, Tribes and ocean users to avoid and reduce potential impacts as much as we can.”