The Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm, being built by Iberdrola’s Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), has become the largest operating offshore wind farm in the United States, with the commissioning of 10 turbines totaling 136 MW.
Avangrid has placed 10 GE Haliade-X Turbines into production, delivering more than 136 MW to the electric grid in Massachusetts, providing enough renewable electricity to power 64,000 homes and businesses.
Vineyard Wind 1 has currently installed 47 foundations and transition pieces and 21 turbines, each with a nameplate capacity of 13 MW with a power boost mode of 13.6 MW, with the installation of the 22nd turbine currently underway.
Located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, the project will be the largest renewable energy facility in New England once fully operational, delivering 806 MW, which is enough clean electricity to power 400,000 homes and businesses.
“With 10 turbines now in operation, Avangrid is delivering enough clean energy to power more than 60,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts. Our Vineyard Wind 1 project continues to demonstrate the significant benefits that offshore wind offers the New England region, delivering well-paying union jobs, local investment, and clean energy that is helping Massachusetts meet its growing demand for electricity,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra.
In February 2024, Vineyard Wind delivered approximately 68 MW from five turbines to the grid. Building on the 136 MW currently in operation, additional power will be delivered to the grid sequentially, with each turbine starting production once it completes the commissioning process.
The power from the project interconnects to the New England grid in Barnstable, transmitted by underground cables that connect to a substation further inland on Cape Cod. Once completed, the project will consist of 62 wind turbines.
Vineyard Wind began offshore construction in late 2022, achieved steel-in-the-water in June 2023, and completed the nation’s first offshore substation in July 2023.
Construction flows through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal.