The first turbine is up at the US’s first commercial offshore wind farm

In a major US milestone, the first turbine was successfully installed at Vineyard Wind 1, the US’s first commercial offshore wind farm.

The first of 62 GE Haliade-X wind turbines at Vineyard Wind 1 is complete. The announcement says the “fully assembled machine represents the largest turbine in the western world.” It has a 220-meter (722-foot) rotor, has 107-meter (351-foot) blades, and is 248 meters (814 feet) tall.

This single 13-megawatt (MW) turbine is capable of providing power to more than 6,000 homes and businesses.

The $3.5 billion Vineyard Wind 1, a 50/50 joint venture between Avangrid and green investors Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket and 35 miles from mainland Massachusetts.

The 806 MW offshore wind farm will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts and save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation. It’s 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.

The developers’ plan is to ramp up Vineyard Wind 1 to 200-300 MW by the end of 2023, and it’s expected to reach its full power potential by mid-2024.

Read more: ‘Two steps forward, two steps back’ for US offshore wind in Q3

Photo: Avangrid

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