Global Offshore Wind Leaders Submit Offers for Space at NJ Wind Port

On Oct 28, 2021

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has received 16 non-binding tenants offers at the New Jersey Wind Port from six of the largest turbine manufacturers and offshore wind developers in the world.

The offers were made in response to a recent Notice for Sublease of Property. According to the NJEDA, the solicitation result confirms the offshore wind industry’s strong and sustained interest in partnering with the state to turn the New Jersey Wind Port into an internationally recognized offshore wind hub that will drive economic growth and job creation in South Jersey and throughout the Garden State.

The NJEDA posted a Notice for Sublease of Property on Sept. 29 seeking non-binding offers from offshore wind developers and component manufacturers on four parcels of property at the port, including two parcels of property that are being purpose-built for offshore wind marshalling, staging, and final assembly of turbines; and two parcels that are being purpose-built for offshore wind turbine component manufacturing and assembly. The deadline for submissions was Friday, Oct. 22.

Six bidders submitted 16 non-binding offers that NJEDA staff have preliminarily determined to be compliant. All bidders put in multiple offers encompassing different parcels, project configurations, and levels of investments. Compliant bidders included offshore wind developers and manufacturers.

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC (Atlantic Shores), Ørsted Wind Power North America LLC (Ørsted), and Beacon Wind LLC (Beacon Wind) are offshore wind developers that submitted offers for Parcels A and B1, which are being purpose-built for offshore wind marshalling, staging, and final assembly of turbines.

All are major players in the US offshore wind industry with projects ranging from Massachusetts to Maryland and have parent organizations with global offshore wind portfolios. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) has awarded more than 3,700 MW of offshore wind projects to Ørsted and Atlantic Shores, a 50:50 joint venture between Shell New Energies and EDF Renewables. Beacon Wind, a 50:50 joint venture between Equinor and bp, has been awarded projects by New York State.

GE Renewables US LLC (GE), Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Inc. (SGRE), and Vestas-American Wind Technology, Inc. (Vestas) are the three largest offshore wind turbine manufacturers in Europe and the United States. All three have submitted bids for both Parcels C and G, the two manufacturing parcels available at the Wind Port.

Sixteen offers have been preliminarily determined by NJEDA staff to be compliant with the solicitation’s requirements and will be scored in the coming days. After scoring is completed, the Authority anticipates beginning negotiations with some or all of the parties with compliant bids. The NJEDA Board will review and determine final compliance determinations, scoring, and approval of binding offers and subleases on a parcel-by-parcel basis in months to come, after the Authority completes negotiations.

“The New Jersey Wind Port is a game-changing investment that establishes New Jersey as the capital of offshore wind in the United States,” said Gov. Phil Murphy, “The overwhelming response to this early opportunity to lease space at the Wind Port from the biggest global players in offshore wind shows that we are already well on our way to achieving this vision and driving economic growth that firmly aligns with our environmental goals.”

“I am not surprised that many of the most successful offshore wind manufacturers and developers in the world want to join us in this project,” said Senate President Steve Sweeney.

“This project will create hundreds of construction jobs, support thousands of ancillary jobs, and generate $500 million in annual economic activity.”

“The New Jersey Wind Port is a critical piece of Governor Murphy’s plan to curb the effects of climate change and set New Jersey on the path to long-term, sustainable economic growth,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The significant interest we are seeing in the port from many of the world’s largest offshore wind businesses validates our expectation that building this unique infrastructure resource would attract the attention of the global industry and establish New Jersey as a leader in the U.S. offshore wind industry. Going forward, this will drive investment and job creation in South Jersey and throughout the state.”

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