A recent report from The National Renewable 
Energy Laboratory discussing supply chain requirements for meeting U.S. offshore wind energy production goals in a project overseen by the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, states that the U.S. needs 2,100 wind turbines, 6,800 miles of cable, 2,100 foundations, 58 crew transfer vessels to meet the Biden administration's goal of 30 GW of offshore wind energy deployed by 2030.
Approximately 50,000 trained workers, with high paying maritime and construction jobs will be employed in the offshore related energy industry. The report is intended to help the industry strategically plan how to develop a domestic supply chain that supports the development goals. Unfortunately, due to the U.S. reliance to date on fossil fuels, the country will have to rely on European suppliers to supply the U.S. offshore wind market in its early days.
It encourages quickly ramping up the U.S. alternate energy economy in the following ways:
-
Build the ships
-
Make the cable
-
Fabricate the turbines
-
Construct the foundations
-
Operate the equipment
The report states that if the U.S. offshore wind supply chain is to meet the 30 GW number by 2030.
The equipment and manpower needs will be:
-
2,100 wind turbines and foundations
-
6,800 miles of cable
-
5-6 wind turbine installation vessels
-
4 cable lay vessels
-
10 transport vessels
-
58 crew transfer vessels
-
11 service operation vessels
-
2 scour protection installation vessels
-
12,300-49,000 trained workers
It also discusses the readiness of east coast seaports to support the projects coming online. At this point, only the Portsmouth Marine Terminal in Virginia has existing capabilities to support the loadout of wind turbine installation vessels. The Portsmouth Marine Terminal will support Dominion Energy's 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Dominion will use 72 acres at the port for staging and pre-assembly of foundations and turbines.
Future Offshore Wind Turbine Production and Facilities
- Siemens Gamesa is building a blade finishing facility.
- Ørsted will also have a presence at the port. In the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area,
- The South Brooklyn Marine Terminal will be an appropriate facility but it is yet to be built.
- The planned offshore wind assembly and staging hub to be developed by Equinor and BP is scheduled to cost as much as $250 million And it reports that Foss Maritime is redeveloping 30 acres at the Port of New Bedford in Massachusetts to support the Vineyard Wind 1 and Mayflower Wind projects.