The electric breeze
Building the first wind port on the U.S. east coast will put New Jersey at the forefront of this growing new industry.
As the demand for renewable energy continues to grow, AECOM Tishman is proud to be serving as construction manager for the first purpose-built wind port on the U.S. East Coast, which was specifically conceived to support this rapidly expanding industry. A wind port is a wharf that enables turbine owners to stage, assemble, transport and service offshore wind turbines.
The NJ Wind Port will include a 30-acre waterfront marshalling area that can accommodate offshore wind installation vessels. The project will also include a 25-acre component manufacturing site, and a dedicated overland heavy-haul transportation corridor. Furthermore, the site is adjacent to an additional 200 acres that can be used for future phases of development.
Essential infrastructure
The NJ Wind Port is located north of the Delaware Bay in Salem County. Because of the massive height of the turbines, a location without any vertical restriction was a key consideration as the turbines would not be able to fit underneath most bridges and power lines. Furthermore, the location of the NJ Wind Port is within a day’s voyage of more than 50 percent of the available U.S. offshore wind areas designated for turbines in the mid-Atlantic region.
Construction kicked off in 2021 and the facility is scheduled to open in 2024, timed to support the first wave of planned East Coast wind projects. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority predicts that this wind port will generate $500 million in annual economic activity and 1,500 new green jobs for the region.
Promoting community involvement
AECOM Tishman signed a project labor agreement (PLA) that reflects a commitment to hire local union workers and an alignment with the State’s and NJEDA’s workforce equity goals. The wind port project also has robust contracting goals of 15 percent of the construction value being awarded to minority, women, and veteran owned firms. In addition, there is a 25 percent small business and 3 percent service-disabled-veteran-owned firm goal.
AECOM Tishman has had proven success exceeding similar objectives on other projects in New Jersey and has developed a thorough plan for achieving these ambitious mandates.
