New Jersey To Be Home To Nation's First Wind Port, Murphy Says

LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TOWNSHIP, NJ — A port that is expected to serve as an offshore wind hub for the East Coast and create thousands of jobs is coming to South Jersey, state officials announced on Tuesday.

Construction on the New Jersey Wind Port — the first of its kind in the nation — is expected to begin next year and will take place in two phases, Gov. Phil Murphy announced. It will be located in Lower Alloways Creek Township, on an artificial island on the eastern shores of the Delaware River, southwest of the City of Salem.

The project is expected to cost between $300 million and $400 million. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) is leading development and is considering a range of public, private, and public-private partnership (P3) financing options.

The projects slated for development through the use of this port for the next 10 years are expected to require more than $100 billion of capital investment, creating an opportunity for significant economic growth, officials said.

“Expanding New Jersey’s offshore wind industry is vital to Governor Murphy’s vision for a stronger and fairer New Jersey economy,” NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan said. “The New Jersey Wind Port will tap into one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, creating high-quality jobs for New Jersey residents and bringing millions of dollars into our communities with a particularly strong impact on communities in South Jersey. This will be especially important as we work to get people back to work and jumpstart economic growth in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.”

It has the potential to create up to 1,500 manufacturing, assembly, and operations jobs, as well as hundreds of construction jobs in the state, officials said. New Jersey has committed to using union labor to build the port, and Murphy said it intends to “set a new standard for inclusion of minority and women workers and business owners.”

“Offshore wind is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to not only protect our environment but also greatly expand our state economy in a way that has immediate impacts and paves the way for long-term growth,” Murphy said. “The New Jersey Wind Port will create thousands of high-quality jobs, bring millions of investment dollars to our state, and establish New Jersey as the national capital of offshore wind. This is a vital step forward in achieving our goal of reaching 7,500 megawatts of offshore wind power by 2035 and 100 percent clean energy by 2050.”

During the first phase of construction, a 30-acre site will be built to accommodate marshalling activities. A 25-acre component manufacturing site will also be built. The second phase will include the addition of another 150+ acres to accommodate expanded marshalling activities and extensive manufacturing facilities for turbine components like blades and nacelles.

“The New Jersey Wind Port will be an incredible project that benefits the entire state, but it will be particularly important for South Jersey,” State Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3) said. “Creating thousands of jobs in a region that has been overlooked in the past is crucial to addressing our current economic challenges and laying the foundation for future economic growth.”

Offshore wind has been cited by state officials as a central part of New Jersey’s plan to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2050. To reach this goal, the state is shooting for 7,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035.

To reach this goal, new port facilities designed specifically to meet the offshore wind industry’s unique needs are essential, according to studies conducted by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), US Department of Energy, and offshore wind project developers.

For example, wind turbines must be partially assembled at a port and then shipped out to the ocean vertically, with components as tall as 500 feet. When fully constructed on the ocean, the turbines selected for New Jersey’s first offshore wind project will be more than 850 feet tall, officials said.

Due to the height involved, ports must be away from all vertical restrictions such as bridges and must have wharfs that can accommodate up to 800 tons, or more than two fully loaded Boeing 777s. Most existing port infrastructure along the East Coast is unable to accommodate this work, officials said.

New Jersey was selected to host this port due to its location at the heart of the East Coast wind belt, commitment to supporting offshore wind, and diverse and highly skilled workforce put the state in a strong position to capitalize on this opportunity, officials said.

Lower Alloways Creek was selected because it is more than five miles from the nearest New Jersey residential area, can be built to meet the offshore wind industry’s needs, and has ample space to grow operations over time.

The site is next to PSEG’s Hope Creek Nuclear Generation Station, and the company has partnered with the NJEDA to complete work on its property that will help speed up the project’s construction.

Most jobs at the port will not require four-year college degrees and workforce development efforts are being prepared to ensure these opportunities are accessible to Salem County residents. The recently announced WIND Institute will serve as a center for education, research, innovation, and workforce training related to the development of offshore wind in New Jersey and the region.

“On behalf of the Building Trades, I want to thank Governor Murphy and his administration for making this project a reality,” said Dan Cosner, Business Manager of IBEW Local 351 and President of Southern NJ Building Trades Council. “This project announcement could not have come at a better time considering the uncertainly of the future of construction due to the Covid-19 and recent economic downturn in the economy. These jobs that will be created for the Building Trades and for the Wind Industry after the facility is built will allow South Jersey to continue to thrive while also helping with meeting the Governor’s goals of the energy master plan.”