Engineering, procurement and construction contracts have been awarded for New Jerseys first offshore wind farm, to be constructed south of Long Beach Island, off the coast of Atlantic City.

Ocean Wind 1, a joint venture between rsted and Public Service Enterprise Group, is expected to be operational in 2024 and will produce enough electricity to power more than 500,000 homes, deliver thousands of jobs and ramp up supply chain initiatives, like the EEW monopile manufacturing facility at the port of Paulsboro, all while helping the state meet its clean energy goals, the companies said in a joint statement announcing the contracts.

JINGOLI Power LLC, based in Lawrence Township, and Missouri-based Burns and McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc. won the contracts, which include the installation of two high-voltage substations and nearly 9 miles of underground cable that will connect the offshore wind farm to onshore electric grids at two landfall points,

The awarding of these contracts mark significant milestones in moving the states first offshore wind project forward, said Grant van Wyngaarden, head of procurement for rsted North America. We are focused on doing all we can to meet the states timeline for delivering the Ocean 1 project, hiring locally, creating job opportunities, and encouraging supply chain growth to help the offshore wind industry mature in New Jersey.

Engineering for the project began during the first quarter of this year. Construction could begin as early as September 2023.

Together, these contracts will support the creation of approximately 275 family-sustaining jobs in New Jersey, including more than 200 high-paying, union construction jobs, the companies said.

Burns and McDonnell is slated to install a substation in Upper Township, including an interconnection to a nearby Atlantic City Electric substation. It will also construct a substation at the former Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Lacey Township, once the nations oldest operating commercial nuclear power plant. An interconnection will be run to a nearby First Energy substation. The company will also install an underground export cable from the landfall to the onshore electric substation.

Under its contract, JINGOLI Power is expected to install an underground expert cable from the landfall to B.L. England, the site of the onshore electric substation in Upper Township. The company will also engineer, procure and install a duct bank/manhole system to house the export cables, officials said.

Ocean Wind 1 proves we dont have to choose between creating good jobs and fighting climate change, said Joseph R. Jingoli Jr., CEO and co-founder of JINGOLI Power. We can do both. Were extremely honored to have been selected.

In addition to awarding contracts for Ocean Wind 1, rsted recently announced a project labor agreement to construct the companys U.S. offshore wind farms with an American union workforce. The agreement is with North Americas Building Trades Unions and is the first of its kind in the country.

The National Offshore Wind Agreement sets the bar for working conditions and equity, injects hundreds of millions of dollars in middle-class wages into the American economy, according to a statement announcing the agreement, which includes all of rsteds contractors and subcontractors for its offshore wind projects from Maine to Florida.

Sean McGarvey, president of NABTU, called the agreement unprecedented and historic not just for the workers, but also for future energy needs.

This partnership will not only expand tens of thousands of career opportunities for them to flourish in the energy transition, but also lift up even more into the middle class, he added.

Industry projections expect offshore wind projects to directly create roughly 80,000 jobs with millions of union work hours and tens of thousands more in indirect careers in manufacturing, maritime work, logistics and clean energy technology.

The National Offshore Wind Agreement we signed with NABTU sets the industry standard from the beginning. Were going to build an American offshore wind energy industry with American workers, family-sustaining wages, and robust and equitable training programs to achieve this critical vision, said David Hardy, chief executive officer of rsted Offshore North America.

Gina G. Scala

ggscala@thesandpaper.net

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Awarded Contracts Power Start of NJ's First Offshore Wind Project - The SandPaper