Denmark-based offshore wind developer Ørsted said it has selected GE Renewable Energy as the preferred turbine supplier for two of its US offshore wind farms which marks the world’s first commercial deployment of GE’s Haliade-X 12-megawatt (MW) offshore wind turbine.
The towering Haliade-X 12 MW wind turbine has a rotor diameter of 220 meters. Each blade on the Haliade-X 12 MW is 107 meters long sweeping a total area of 38,000 square meters.
Subject to final agreed and signed contract and all required project approvals, Ørsted will deploy Haliade-X 12 MW wind turbines on the two offshore wind farms constituting Ørsted’s Mid-Atlantic cluster:
the 120 MW Skipjack off the coast of Maryland, expected to be commissioned in 2022; and 1,100 MW Ocean Wind off the coast of New Jersey, expected to be commissioned in 2024.
Martin Neubert, Executive Vice President and CEO of Ørsted Offshore, said, “We look forward to introducing the next generation offshore wind turbine to the market. For decades, Ørsted has pioneered the introduction of new technology and new suppliers which has been fundamental to drive down the cost of electricity, and today offshore wind is a competitive source of homegrown clean energy that can help countries and states achieve their climate targets while creating long-lasting economic activity.”
In the US alone, seven states on the east coast have committed to building a total of 20 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2035, emphasizing the need for a broad and diverse supplier base.
Jerome Pecresse, President & CEO of GE Renewable Energy, said, “We are truly excited to be selected preferred supplier with the most powerful offshore wind turbine on the market by the global market leader. Offshore wind is a high-growth segment for our company, and like Ørsted, we are enthusiastic about the potential of offshore wind, both in the US and globally.”
Following the 30 MW Block Island Wind Farm – America’s first offshore wind farm which was commissioned in 2016 and pioneered the 6 MW Haliade turbine – Skipjack and Ocean Wind will be Ørsted’s second and third offshore wind farms to deploy turbines from GE Renewable Energy. In the US, Ørsted has been awarded the rights to build offshore wind farms to serve the markets of Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut. These wind farms will have a total capacity of approx 2.9 GW and will be commissioned by 2024.