Groundbreaking at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal to transform port into NYC offshore wind hub
Revitalized SBMT will support Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 as offshore wind era advances in New York
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- Equinor today broke ground on construction at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT), kicking off the revitalization of the venerable port facility into a hub for offshore wind on the East Coast and a critical contributor to New York’s renewable energy ambitions.
The groundbreaking ceremony included remarks from New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10), NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen Harris, Executive Director of UPROSE Elizabeth Yeampierre, and President of Equinor Renewables Americas Molly Morris.
SBMT will support Equinor’s first U.S. offshore wind project, Empire Wind 1, while placing Sunset Park and New York City at the heart of the renewable energy industry for decades to come. When completed, the facility will be one of the largest dedicated offshore wind hubs in the United States, designed to accommodate future offshore wind projects.
“Today’s groundbreaking at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal is a defining moment for Empire Wind 1 and for the long-term renewable energy ambitions of New York State and beyond,” said Molly Morris, President of Equinor Renewables Americas.
“We are proud to restore this historic working waterfront in Brooklyn and grateful for the shared commitment to offshore wind shown by this community and by city, state and federal leaders who made this milestone possible. This construction will result in union jobs and local economic benefits while supporting a project that will deliver homegrown power to New Yorkers and position the state as a leader in the advancing offshore wind industry.”
The 73-acre construction project will create a staging and pre-assembly site for the turbine components of Empire Wind 1 and will include an onshore substation to connect 810 MW of wind power to the Gowanus substation, making Empire Wind 1 the first offshore wind project to connect directly into the New York City grid.
SBMT will also be home to Empire Wind 1’s long-term Operations & Maintenance Base, which includes a control room that measures turbine data and monitors the project around-the-clock. SBMT is being developed as a low-emissions facility, with solar power and EV charging stations installed onsite.
SBMT is being redeveloped together with New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and terminal operator Sustainable South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SSBMT). SSBMT is a joint venture of Red Hook Terminals and Industry City.
Empire Wind’s federal Construction and Operations Plan (COP) was approved by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in November 2023.
In March, Empire Wind 1 announced a Project Labor Agreement to build SBMT that includes more than 1,000 union jobs in Brooklyn.
The New York State Public Service Commission gave final approval to begin construction at SBMT in May.
Last week, Equinor and NYSERDA finalized an offtake agreement that provides a range of economic benefits in New York City and across the state. Investments include increased funding for workforce and community development, with significant investments already underway.
The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub, a Brooklyn-based accelerator program for offshore wind innovation, announced its second cohort Thursday.
The Offshore Wind Ecosystem fund has awarded $5 million to a range of New York City organizations to support sustainable growth, workforce development and empowerment of underserved communities.
The Offshore Learning Center is now under design and later this year will become a public space for offshore wind education.
Empire Wind 1 has also made a strong commitment to support businesses owned by minorities, women (MWBEs) and service-disabled veterans (SDVOBs), mostly focused on onshore development at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
The 54-turbine Empire Wind project will provide enough reliable, renewable energy for 500,000 New York homes, with a target to deliver first power in late 2026.
About Empire Wind
Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor, a leading energy company with more than 20 years of experience with offshore wind and a strong existing offshore wind portfolio with assets in key markets including the UK, Poland, Germany and South Korea.
Empire Wind is located 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island and spans 80,000 acres, with water depths of between approximately 75 and 135 feet. The lease was acquired in 2017. The project’s two phases, Empire Wind 1 and 2, have a potential capacity of more than 2 GW (810 + 1,260 MW), enough to power over 1 million New York homes.
About Equinor
Equinor is a broad international energy company and one of the largest offshore wind developers in the world. Its work in the United States includes the development of two lease areas, Empire Wind, off the coast of New York, and Atlas Wind, off the coast of California. The projects plan to provide Americans with up to 4.1 gigawatts (GWs) of energy—enough to power over two million homes—including more than 2 GWs from Empire Wind. The United States is an attractive growth market for Equinor, with an ambition to install 12-16 GW of renewables capacity globally by 2030. www.equinor.com/NY
For media inquiries, please contact:
David Schoetz
Senior Communications Manager
Equinor Renewables Americas
+1 475-216-1942