First offshore wind turbine installed at Revolution Wind project in the US

The project is Rhode Island and Connecticut’s first large-scale offshore windfarm and the first multi-state offshore windfarm in the US.

Revolution Wind will utilise 65 Siemens Gamesa turbines, the same 11-MW turbines used at the recently completed South Fork Wind project. 

Once in operation, Revolution Wind will have the capacity to generate 400 MW of clean power for Rhode Island and 304 MW for Connecticut.

“This is a monumental moment for Revolution Wind, the northeast region, and Rhode Island,” said Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee. “Installation of the first turbine speaks to the strong private and public partnership driving the project forward. Rhode Island is excited to build upon this progress and lead in clean energy and the offshore wind economy for decades to come.”

“Revolution Wind is going to have a major impact in the Northeast when it comes to delivering clean energy,” said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. “The completion of this first turbine represents a milestone as we work towards decarbonising our electric grid while also creating new, good-paying jobs in this growing sector for Connecticut residents.”

“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,” said group executive vice president and chief executive Americas at Ørsted, David Hardy.

“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 labour, port and supply chain partners, as we continue building this historic project.”

Three New England ports are playing central roles in the effort to build Revolution Wind. State Pier in New London, Connecticut, is serving as the staging and marshalling port for the project, where the turbines are being assembled. Ørsted and Eversource have invested more than US$100M in the State Pier redevelopment project. 

In Providence, crews are handling loadout of the foundation components, which were built by more than 125 workers at Ørsted and Eversource’s construction hub at ProvPort. Ørsted and Eversource invested US$100M in the work at ProvPort, making it the largest offshore wind supply chain investment in Rhode Island’s history. 

ECO Edison, the first American-built, owned and crewed service operation vessel is based out of ProvPort during Revolution Wind’s construction. Revolution Wind’s crew helicopters and Rhode Island-built crew transfer vessels are based out of that state’s Quonset Point. Onshore construction continues in North Kingstown, RI, on the project’s transmission system.

The Revolution Wind project site, roughly 24 km south of the Rhode Island coast and 51 km southeast of the Connecticut coast, is adjacent to Ørsted and Eversource’s South Fork Wind, America’s first utility-scale offshore windfarm.

Ørsted recently marked the groundbreaking for another neighbouring project, Sunrise Wind.