Joint-venture partners Ørsted and Eversource have taken the first steps toward transforming ProvPort in Rhode Island into a regional offshore wind hub
The companies are planning to establish a foundation fabrication facility to support assembly of offshore windfarms on the northeast coast of the US.
The new facility will be used for fabrication and assembly of foundations for Ørsted and Eversource’s joint-venture offshore wind projects.
Ørsted and Eversource have also reached a project labour agreement (PLA) with the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and Dimeo Construction, ensuring that site upgrades and facility construction required to turn ProvPort into a regional offshore wind hub will be completed by local, union labour.
Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee said, “Ørsted and Eversource are keeping their commitment to making significant investments in Rhode Island to create good-paying union jobs and position our port facilities to become central hubs in this growing industry. Rhode Islanders are ready to get to work building the next great US offshore windfarms.”
Ørsted Offshore North America chief executive David Hardy said, “We are reaffirming our commitment to Rhode Island with the advancement of a regional fabrication and assembly hub at ProvPort.
“Our partnership with local labour is critical to the success of our offshore windfarms and we’re ready to put more local tradesmen and women to work in the state where we launched America’s offshore wind industry.”
In total, Ørsted and Eversource are investing a combined US$40M at ProvPort and Quonset Point, in North Kingstown, Rhode Island to support the development of the Revolution Wind project serving Rhode and Connecticut, as well as the South Fork Wind project serving New York. The site upgrades and facility construction at ProvPort will create approximately 40 union jobs.
Dimeo Construction chief executive Bradford Dimeo said, “We’re grateful to be the lead contractor on this important work to upgrade ProvPort and construct a new facility that will be crucial to the development of the region’s offshore windfarms.”
The partnership between labour and industry will create pathways to apprenticeships and career opportunities for lower-income, minority, women and economically disadvantaged Rhode Islanders through the Building Futures Rhode Island programme.
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