Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation has signed the first ever subcontract for rock procurement for a U.S. offshore wind farm with Carver Sand & Gravel LLC (“Carver”), a U.S. quarry in the state of New York.
Through this subcontract, Great Lakes will use rock produced in the State of New York to provide scour protection for offshore wind turbine foundations, and substations at Equinor and BP's Empire Wind I and Empire Wind II wind farms.
The rock will be quarried locally, transported to the quayside on the Hudson River, and loaded onto Great Lakes’ rock installation vessel, the Acadia, which will sail to the wind farms to install the rock starting in 2025. U.S. President Biden earlier this month attended the steel-cutting ceremony marking the start of the construction of the Acadia.
"Great Lakes and Carver will be developing the first U.S. rock supply chain for offshore wind, including the quarry producing the rock, the stockpiling and transportation of the rock to the quayside, the port and loading facilities that will load the rock installation vessel, and other facilities along the Hudson River that will help guide the vessel in the driveway," Great Lakes said in a statement.
Eleni Beyko, Great Lakes’ Senior Vice President, U.S. Offshore Wind, said, “This is a significant milestone for Great Lakes, our clients, Equinor, and BP, as well as Carver. We have worked closely with Equinor and BP to develop this rock supply chain for the Empire Wind projects to deliver local content from the State of New York. With safety and quality as our top priorities, we will be supporting the local communities by creating local jobs and stimulating economic activity in the state of New York.”
“Building the offshore wind industry from the ground-up in the U.S. centers on strategic private-public partnerships to not only deliver clean, renewable energy but also bring forward significant economic benefits and good-paying jobs,” said NY State Energy Research & Development Authority, President and CEO Doreen M. Harris.
“The subcontract between Great Lakes and Carver is a great example of how New York’s offshore wind projects, such as Equinor and BP' Empire Wind, continue to drive industry firsts with major investments in existing New York businesses and workers that will build the American offshore wind supply chain providing a huge win for all involved.”
Empire Wind I and II are expected to provide over 2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity to the state of New York