Empire Wind Project Advances with Foundation Installations and Marine Protection Measures
Key Insights
Equinor has begun installing foundations for the Empire Wind project off Long Beach, completing one every two days, with turbine installations set for next summer.
The project includes strict measures to protect marine life, such as speed limits for vessels, visual observers, and acoustic monitoring to minimize disturbance.
Pile-driving activities are restricted during whale migration seasons and at night, with shutdown protocols if marine mammals are detected within designated zones.
Empire Wind is expected to start producing energy by the end of 2025, marking a significant milestone in U.S. offshore wind development.
The Empire Wind offshore wind project, developed by Equinor, has reached a critical construction phase with the installation of turbine foundations 14 miles off Long Beach. At least six foundations are already in place, and the company is completing one new foundation approximately every two days. The pile-driving process, which involves driving each foundation up to 180 feet into the seabed with thousands of hammer blows, is expected to continue through October 2025. Tower and turbine installations, reaching heights of 951 feet, are slated for next summer, with the project anticipated to generate its first energy by year's end.
To mitigate environmental impacts, Equinor has implemented a comprehensive suite of protective measures for marine life. The project employs a fleet of support vessels, including a bubble curtain vessel to reduce noise pollution and a protected species observer vessel. All vessels are restricted to speeds of no more than 11.5 miles per hour, and visual observers are stationed on each ship to monitor for marine mammals. Pile-driving activities are prohibited from January to April to avoid disrupting North Atlantic right whale migrations and are halted if marine mammals are detected within a 1.2-mile clearance zone.
Underwater hydrophones and infrared cameras equipped with image-recognition software further enhance monitoring capabilities. A double bubble curtain system is used during pile-driving to absorb and deflect sound, while daily "soft-start" procedures allow marine life to vacate the area before full-scale hammering begins. These measures align with federal requirements and reflect Equinor's commitment to minimizing ecological disruption.
The Empire Wind project represents a significant step forward in the U.S. offshore wind sector, contributing to New York's goal of achieving 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2035. Once operational, the wind farm will play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions and advancing renewable energy infrastructure along the East Coast.