Ocean Wind, a joint venture between Ørsted and PSEG, and steel pipe manufacturer EEW have broken ground at the EEW monopile manufacturing facility in Gloucester County, N.J.
In December 2020, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced a $250 million investment into a new monopile manufacturing facility located at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal. The start of construction marks a significant milestone in delivering the largest industrial offshore wind manufacturing facility in the U.S. to date.
Construction of the facility will be completed under a project labor agreement (PLA) with the South Jersey Building Trades Council, ensuring that jobs created during the construction phase will be filled by local New Jersey union tradesmen and women. Construction activities include clearing and grading of the 70-acre site, reinforcement to increase quayside bearing capacity to accommodate the 2,500-ton monopiles, and the construction of two large buildings that will support circumferential welding, sandblasting and painting. In an effort to deliver the most economic benefits to the state, EEW has contracted with more than 30 New Jersey companies in support of design, permitting, site work and concrete.
“Positioning New Jersey in the offshore wind industry and developing our offshore wind capabilities have been key priorities of my administration since day one,” says Murphy. “As the largest industrial offshore wind investment in the U.S. to date, the Paulsboro Marine Terminal will be a significant driving force for the state’s economy and create hundreds of good-paying, union jobs to South Jersey. Offshore wind is a once-in-a-generation opportunity; this groundbreaking signals a monumental step forward in propelling New Jersey’s clean energy economy for generations to come.”
Once complete, the facility will manufacture monopiles to supply the 1,100 MW Ocean Wind farm off the coast of southern New Jersey. EEW’s facility will create as many as 260 jobs during the first phase of construction and manufacturing. The facility is a key asset for the state and – in addition to supplying Ocean Wind – will serve the rapidly progressing U.S. offshore wind industry for years to come.
