Bay State Wind has entered into an agreement with EEW, a global provider of steel pipe manufacturing, to open and staff a Massachusetts facility to manufacture offshore wind components. Bay State Wind is a 50-50 partnership between offshore wind developer, Ørsted, and transmission builder, Eversource.
EEW and Gulf Island will work on the production of monopile foundations and transition pieces, including secondary steel components, painting, and pre-fabricated components for offshore wind turbine foundations.
Together with EEW, it will collaborate with Gulf Island Fabrication, a global provider of offshore wind construction. The collaboration will deploy new and specialized steel manufacturing capabilities that are not currently used in the U.S. Together, these companies create an industry-leading force that will build a renewable energy supply chain in Massachusetts, resulting in local job creation and state-wide economic benefits.
The new facility, manufacturing and load-out will generate about 500 annual construction jobs with up to 1,200 additional annual indirect jobs in the local community. The facility is a long-term commitment in the first offshore wind-manufacturing site in North America, which will result in lasting jobs for Massachusetts workers. Types of direct jobs include welders, blaster painters, steel fabricators, and other associated trades.
With a working relationship lasting nearly 10 years, EEW has supplied more than 650 monopile foundations to offshore wind projects with Ørsted around the world. Ørsted identified EEW for Bay State Wind early in the development of the project, which will now allow both EEW and Gulf Island to pioneer a new industry in Massachusetts and North America.
“Being able to bring the world’s preeminent steel manufacturer in the offshore energy sector along with Gulf Island Fabrication, a premier U.S. fabrication company, to work on the Bay State Wind project is a tremendous honor,” said Thomas Brostrøm, President of Ørsted North America. “In addition to an unmatched record of safety, EEW has been a longtime partner of Ørsted’s which will make for seamless project management and a strong, trusting working relationship.”
According to a recent survey by Environment Massachusetts, the commonwealth has more offshore wind potential than any other state in the country, and enough to power 19 times the state’s current electricity consumption. Developing the offshore wind supply chain and bringing manufacturing jobs directly to the Bay State will further cost reductions and provide business, economic, and educational benefits to local communities.
“By teaming up with EEW and Gulf Island Fabrication, we are working to bring world-class offshore wind expertise to the U.S.,” said Mike Auseré, Vice President of Business Development at Eversource. “It will allow us to play a vital role in bolstering the local economy and ensuring customers are always receiving the best return on their investments by our continuous efforts to keep energy costs low.”
EEW and Gulf Island will specifically work on the production of monopile foundations and transition pieces, including secondary steel components, painting, and pre-fabricated components for offshore wind turbine foundations. EEW will manufacture the large steel pipes and primary pieces of the project. Gulf Island will outfit the secondary materials of the project and execute the painting scope.
At every possible opportunity, the companies will contract with local Massachusetts suppliers and manufacturers to source and develop capabilities for several major components, including boat landings, ladders and internal platforms for the construction of the foundations. The two companies bring a complete understanding of the skills and methods needed to ensure projects are completed on time and on budget.
“As we look to the future for the U.S. energy sector, offshore wind will undoubtedly be a prominent source of energy for many Americans,” said Kirk Meche, President and CEO of Gulf Island Fabrication. “We are thrilled to be partnering with two industry-leading companies in their respective fields on the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the country.”
Bay State Wind is a proposed offshore wind project located 25 miles off the Massachusetts South Coast and 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, will be America’s first large-scale, commercial wind farm. The project will supply 500,000 Massachusetts homes with clean, reliable power. It will also create more than 1,200 annual jobs during construction of the project and over 10,800 indirect and direct jobs over the life of the project.
The proposed Bay State Wind project will establish Massachusetts as the hub for offshore wind leadership in the U.S.
Filed Under: News, Offshore wind
