New York’s first wind farm will power 70,000 homes

For New York to reach its climate targets, including zero-emission electricity by 2040 and 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, the city is building its first wind farm off the coast of Long Island, 56 kilometres east of Montauk Point, New York. The offshore wind farm will comprise 12 wind turbines of 11MW and will generate 132MW of clean, renewable energy – enough to power 70,000 homes. The wind farm will also displace millions of tonnes of carbon emissions, the equivalent of taking 60,000 cars off the road.

South Fork Wind is a partnership between Ørsted, one of the world’s largest offshore wind power developers, and Eversource, a national energy leader with homegrown expertise in regional energy transmission, including more than 100 years of experience in delivering power to the region.

Ramboll collaborates with engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor Kiewit, responsible for the FEED (Front End Engineering & Design) and the detailed design of the high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) offshore substation topside. The Ramboll team plays a pivotal role in tailoring the design to the US market, accounting for local regulatory compliance and permitting standards.

In addition to delivering clean, renewable energy to Long Island, the project will also help prevent summer power shortages on the South Fork. During peak summer hours, the wind farm will supplement existing power sources to help ensure the South Fork has sufficient power supply. Offshore wind typically peaks in output during the highest-demand hours in the late afternoon and early morning, which is also when energy demand peaks.

Offshore wind substations are critical components of utility-scale offshore wind farms. Substations collect the power produced by the wind turbines and connect the clean energy to the grid. The South Fork substation will be the first-ever American-made offshore wind substation.

The 1,500-tonne, 18-metre-tall substation topside, which will consist of a topside resting on a mono-pile foundation, is built at Kiewit’s facility in Texas before being transported to the Eastern seaboard. The platform is designed as a Type A platform, which only needs to be manned during service and repair work. Control and monitoring activities will be carried out from the onshore control station.

In August 2021, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued its final environmental impact statement (EIS) and announced the approval of the construction and operation of the South Fork wind project in November 2021. The project – which is only the second commercial-scale offshore wind project in the US – was fully permitted in early 2022 and is projected to be fully operational by the end of 2023.