The New York City Public Design Commission (PDC) has approved Equinor’s design for the offshore wind operations and maintenance building to be constructed at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT).
The approval from the PDC allows for advancement of New York’s first-ever purpose-built offshore wind operations and maintenance facility, marking an important step in revitalizing a working waterfront at this historic port.
SBMT is on track to become a cutting-edge staging facility for the Empire Wind 1 project, which is posed to deliver 810 MW of renewable power to New York.
Construction at the port is expected to begin in spring 2024, the developers said.
SBMT will serve as the operations and maintenance (O&M) hub for Empire Wind 1 and will be the site of the project’s onshore substation.
A low-emissions facility with solar power and EV charging stations installed onsite, the port will provide onshore power and charging for the Empire Wind service operations vessel (SOV), the first plug-in hybrid vessel for the U.S. offshore wind industry.
SBMT is being redeveloped together with New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and terminal operator Sustainable South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SSBMT), which is a joint venture of Red Hook Terminals and Industry City.
Empire Wind is located 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island and spans 80,000 acres, with water depths of between approximately 75 and 135 feet.
“The approval of the design for our operations and maintenance building at SBMT is a significant milestone in the transformation of SBMT into a hub for offshore wind and a staging area for our projects,” said Teddy Muhlfelder, Vice President for Equinor Renewables Americas.
“The NYCEDC is dedicated to working with our partners to transform the SBMT into one of the largest offshore wind port facilities in the nation, and pave the way for meaningful job creation in the clean energy sector,” added Melissa Román Burch, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) Chief Operating Officer.