APR 03, 2018
Bay State Wind Brings New Steel Facility and Manufacturing Capabilities to Massachusetts
Offshore Wind Developer Brings World Leading Steel Manufacturer to the U.S. to Develop New Industry
BOSTON, Ma. (April 3, 2018) – Bay State Wind, the 50-50 partnership between Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind, and Eversource, New England’s premier transmission builder, today announced it has entered into an agreement with EEW, the international market leader in steel pipe manufacturing, to open and staff a Massachusetts facility to manufacture offshore wind components. Bay State Wind and EEW will collaborate with Gulf Island Fabrication, a U.S.-based worldwide leader in the construction of offshore and onshore energy sector facilities. The collaboration will deploy new and specialized steel manufacturing capabilities that are not currently utilized in the U.S. Together, these companies create an industry-leading force that will build a renewable energy supply chain in Massachusetts, resulting in local job creation and state-wide economic benefits.
“The U.S. market, with Massachusetts and the Northeast at the forefront, has long been ripe for robust development of offshore wind energy,” said Christoph Schorge, Managing Partner of EEW Group. “We regard these first steps as a starting point of a long-term and sustainable approach in the U.S. offshore wind industry and we are proud to enter the market with such a knowledgeable partner as Bay State Wind.”
EEW and Gulf Island Fabrication recently visited Massachusetts to view potential site locations to build its U.S. hub. The new facility, manufacturing and load-out will generate approximately 500 annual construction jobs with up to 1,200 additional annual indirect jobs in the local community. The facility is a long-term commitment in the first offshore wind-manufacturing site in North America which will result in lasting jobs for Massachusetts workers. Types of direct jobs include welders, blaster painters, steel fabricators and other associated trades.
With a working relationship lasting nearly ten years, EEW has supplied more than 650 monopile foundations to offshore wind projects with Ørsted around the world. Ørsted identified EEW for Bay State Wind early in the development of the project, which will now allow both EEW and Gulf Island to pioneer a new industry in Massachusetts and North America. According to a recent survey by Environment Massachusetts, the commonwealth has more offshore wind potential than any other state in the country, and enough to power 19 times the state’s current electricity consumption. Developing the offshore wind supply chain and bringing manufacturing jobs directly to the Bay State will further cost reductions and provide business, economic, and educational benefits to local communities. “Being able to bring the world’s preeminent steel manufacturer in the offshore energy sector along with Gulf Island Fabrication, a premier U.S. fabrication company, to work on the Bay State Wind project is a tremendous honor,” said Thomas Brostrøm, President of Ørsted North America. “In addition to an unmatched record of safety, EEW has been a longtime partner of Ørsted’s which will make for seamless project management and a strong, trusting working relationship.”
“By teaming up with EEW and Gulf Island Fabrication, we are working to bring world-class offshore wind expertise to the U.S.,” said Mike Auseré, Vice President of Business Development at Eversource. “It will allow us to play a vital role in bolstering the local economy and ensuring customers are always receiving the best return on their investments by our continuous efforts to keep energy costs low.”
EEW and Gulf Island will specifically work on the production of monopile foundations and transition pieces, including secondary steel components, painting, and pre-fabricated components for offshore wind turbine foundations. EEW will manufacture the large steel pipes and primary pieces of the project. Gulf Island will outfit the secondary materials of the project and execute the painting scope. At every possible opportunity, the companies will contract with local Massachusetts suppliers and manufacturers to source and develop capabilities for several major components, including boat landings, ladders and internal platforms for the construction of the foundations. The two companies bring a complete understanding of the skills and methods needed to ensure projects are completed on time and on budget.
“As we look to the future for the U.S. energy sector, offshore wind will undoubtedly be a prominent source of energy for many Americans,” said Kirk Meche, President and CEO of Gulf Island Fabrication. “We are thrilled to be partnering with two industry-leading companies in their respective fields on the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the country.”
Bay State Wind is a proposed offshore wind project located 25 miles off the Massachusetts South Coast and 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, will be America’s first large-scale, commercial wind farm. The project will supply 500,000 Massachusetts homes with clean, reliable power. It will also create more than 1,200 annual jobs during construction of the project and over 10,800 indirect and direct jobs over the life of the project. The proposed Bay State Wind project will establish Massachusetts as the hub for offshore wind leadership in the U.S.
About Bay State WindBay State Wind is a proposed offshore wind project located 25 miles off the Massachusetts South Coast and 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. The project is a joint venture between Ørsted – the global leader in offshore wind – and Eversource – New England’s premier transmission builder. Bay State Wind brings the experience of developing 23 projects around the world, on time and on budget, as well as deep expertise in building transmission within New England, and sophisticated knowledge of the region’s electrical grid. Bay State Wind’s proposed commercial-scale offshore wind project will create more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs over the lifetime of the project, drive economic growth, provide cost-competitive clean energy and bring a supply chain that establishes Massachusetts as the U.S. hub for a new American industry. For more information on Bay State Wind, visit baystatewind.com or follow us on Twitter @baystatewind.
About EEW GroupFor more than 80 years, the EEW Group has been known worldwide as a specialist for the production of large diameter steel pipes for the offshore wind as well as oil and gas industry. Being a pioneer in the field of offshore wind foundations, EEW has already participated in the industry’s first research projects such as Alpha Ventus (2008, Germany). Since that time the Germany based company contributed with approx. 1.5 million tons of steel pipes for nearly 2,000 offshore wind foundations to more than 40 offshore wind projects and gained a market leading position. Having nine pipe mills worldwide, thereof three mills (EEW SPC in Germany, EEW KHPC in South Korea and EEW OSB in UK) which are exclusively concentrated on the production of offshore wind components, EEW is able to offer a complete portfolio of offshore wind components including monopiles, transition pieces, pre-fabricated components for jacket foundations as well as secondary steel and coating. With innovative energy and the dedication of more than 2,000 employees worldwide, the EEW Group creates innovative solutions for the sustainable energy sector.
About Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc.Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. is a leading fabricator of complex offshore and onshore steel structures used in the oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, and alternative energy business sectors throughout the world. In business for over thirty-three years, the Company also provides related installation, hookup, commissioning, repair and maintenance services for the offshore oil and gas industry through its Services Division. Additionally Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. operates a Shipyard Division with facilities providing new build and repair of marine transportation vessels. The Company recently fabricated offshore wind turbine foundations for the first offshore wind power project in the United States. The Company also constructed two of the largest lift boats servicing the Gulf of Mexico. The Company’s customers include U.S. and, to a lesser extent, international energy producers, petrochemical, industrial, power and marine operators. The Corporate headquarter is located in Houston, Texas, with fabrication facilities located in Houma, Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Aransas Pass and Ingleside, Texas.
