Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), began installing the first monopiles and transition pieces for this first-in-the-nation commercial scale offshore wind farm back in June. The heavy lift vessel ORION, which is being operated by DEME, will be working with a team of ships throughout the summer installing 62 foundations in the wind development area.
“We can finally say it – as of today, there is ‘steel in the water,’” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus S. Moeller. “Over the next few months, we’ll be working hand in glove with the Building Trades and our contractors to ensure the work is done safely and efficiently. I want to thank all of our stakeholders and the entire Vineyard Wind team for this remarkable achievement on this first in the nation project.”
“Our administration is grateful for the important work being done by Vineyard Wind, Avangrid, CIP, DEME and labor partners to bring clean, affordable energy to Massachusetts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We’re thrilled to see this historic project move one step closer to completion and committed to supporting the offshore wind industry across the state.”
“With the start of the foundation installation today on the nation’s first commercial scale offshore wind farm, the windmills that will power hundreds of thousands of homes are beginning to emerge from the water, a process that is creating jobs and bring us one step closer to delivering the Commonwealth’s clean energy future,” said Speaker Ronald J. Mariano. “The House will continue to work towards making Massachusetts a national leader in the offshore wind industry, as we work to play our role in addressing the climate crisis.”
In addition to the existing crew, the vessel Orion is utilizing local union piledrivers. The Piledrivers received special training to begin this scope of work. As tradespeople gain additional experience in the offshore wind industry, greater employment opportunities will be created in the trades.
“The men and women of Massachusetts’s Building Trades Unions are among the nation’s best-trained, highly skilled, and most productive workforce. They get the job done right while earning family-sustaining wages and benefits that provide them a secure place in America’s middle class,” said Frank Callahan, President of Massachusetts Building Trades Unions. “The Vineyard Wind project offers a generational opportunity for existing tradespeople to bring their skills to this new industry while opening career paths to the trades for residents of New Bedford and the SouthCoast.”
“The offshore wind industry has officially landed in Massachusetts waters and we’re excited for what comes next,” said Rebecca Tepper, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. “Each of these 62 platforms form the foundation of our clean, affordable energy future. I want to congratulate the workers who are making this possible.”
As part of the installation process, Vineyard Wind has also deployed the OSV Atlantic Oceanic and the Northstar Navigator to deploy a primary and secondary bubble curtain. A bubble curtain, which is comprised of large, perforated hoses and specialized air compressors, is designed to absorb and dampen sound during foundation installation. The hoses are placed on the seafloor around the monopile before being filled by compress air. Once the hoses are inflated, the air escapes through the perforations and creates a barrier of bubbles that reduce noise.
Three local fishing vessels, the F/V TORBAY, F/V SOCATEAN and the F/V KATHRYN MARIE, will be onsite to serve as safety and communication sentries. The project is also deploying a Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) system comprised of fixed buoys. Up to four PAMs will be used for real-time underwater acoustic monitoring during pile driving to characterize the presence of marine mammals by detecting vocalizations. The buoys will be deployed and retrieved by the F/V BETH ANNE before mobilizing to the next foundation location.
An 800-megawatt project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Wind will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.
