In a groundbreaking development for sustainable energy, Avangrid, a leading sustainable energy company, in collaboration with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global leader in green energy investment, announced the successful installation of the first GE Haliade-X Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) for the Vineyard Wind 1 project.
The newly installed turbine stands as an emblem of modern engineering, composed of a single tower, three enormous blades, and a nacelle. This colossal machine now claims the title of the largest turbine in the western world, boasting a nameplate capacity of 13 Megawatts. Its impressive power output is poised to light up more than 6,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts, ushering in an era of green energy.
The Vineyard Wind 1 project is a monumental endeavor, set to encompass a total of 62 wind turbines. These turbines will combine their efforts to generate a staggering 806 Megawatts of clean energy, sufficient to meet the energy needs of over 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
Jan Kjaersgaard, the CEO of GE Vernova Offshore Wind, expressed the significance of this milestone, stating, “Having the first offshore wind turbine in the water for the first commercial offshore wind farm in the US is an important symbolic milestone for our company, our customers, and our industry.”
Vineyard Wind has demonstrated its commitment to creating a strong and diversified local workforce of skilled tradespeople. The project’s offshore construction commenced in late 2022, reaching a pivotal milestone with steel-in-the-water in June, and culminating in the completion of the nation’s first offshore substation in July. All of this was made possible through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. Vineyard Wind took a historic step in July 2021 by signing the first-ever Project Labor Agreement for an offshore wind project in the United States, outlining the creation of 500 union jobs throughout the project’s duration.
Positioned 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, the Vineyard Wind project is set to provide electricity to over 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This monumental undertaking is expected to generate 3,600 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers a substantial $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and, significantly, reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons annually. This environmental impact is equivalent to taking 325,000 cars off the road each year.
The installation of the first GE Haliade-X Wind Turbine Generator serves as a testament to the growing potential of sustainable energy in the United States and its role in shaping a greener future. Avangrid and CIP’s Vineyard Wind 1 project is setting new standards in renewable energy and environmental conservation, offering a promising outlook for the transition towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly energy landscape.