A second wind power manufacturing site in southern New Jersey has been announced. The site will fabricate components, known as monopiles, for offshore wind turbines.
The facility – which will be located at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal in Gloucester County – across the Delaware River from the Philadelphia International Airport – will be the largest industrial offshore wind investment in the United States to date and will create more than 500 jobs at full capacity.
Construction on the facility will break ground in January 2021, with production beginning in 2023.
Ørsted has several wind farm projects in the works, including Skipjack off the coast of Delaware near Fenwick Island and a larger project near Atlantic City, NJ.
In June 2020, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans to develop the New Jersey Wind Port in Lower Alloways Creek, near the Salem nuclear power plant complex and across the Delaware River from Delaware, will provide a location for staging, assembly, and manufacturing activities related to offshore wind projects on the East Coast.
While most of the benefits of the New Jersey will flow to that state, Delaware workers have often found employment across the river.
“Developing New Jersey’s offshore wind capabilities has been a key priority of my administration since taking office in 2018,” said Murphy.“Offshore wind is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that allows us to protect our environment while significantly expanding and securing the state’s economy for the immediate and long term. This is the largest industrial offshore wind investment in the United States to date and will create hundreds of high-paying jobs at a time when New Jersey’s economy has been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Coupled with the creation of the New Jersey Wind Port that I announced earlier this year, this investment will continue to cement New Jersey as the leader in offshore wind in the United States.”
“This announcement represents a significant milestone for the Ocean Wind project, and New Jersey’s offshore wind goals,” said David Hardy, CEO of Ørsted Offshore North America. “New Jersey is poised to be a leader in the American offshore wind industry with key investments in its port infrastructure, like the Port of Paulsboro and the New Jersey Wind Port. As the state looks to rebuild its economy post Covid-19, Ørsted will be there to partner with the state to create jobs, and opportunities for local suppliers to enter into this new American industry.”
A University of Delaware report indicated that another windpower marshaling port is feasible at a site near Delaware City, even with the announcement of a site near the Salem nuclear complex.
Another site may be needed, due to the number of projects expected to be in the pipeline. (See story below).
Delaware was the first out of the gate with the Bluewater wind project of the coast at Rehoboth Beach.
That project fell victim to the economy during the recession and recovery about a decade ago.
Since that time, the costs of generating electricity have dropped due to larger and more efficient turbines
UD researchers find two sites, one in Delaware, that can transport wind turbine towers
