Ørsted awards secondary steel contract to Cherry Hill-based Riggs Distler for Ocean Wind 1

Ørsted has awarded Riggs Distler the contract for the secondary steel components for its Ocean Wind 1 Project 15 miles off the coast of southern New Jersey, the company announced Friday.

Riggs Distler, a union utility infrastructure services company, will provide onshore heavy civil, mechanical and electrical services focused on the construction, assembly, inspection and onshore installation of advanced foundation components. Work includes the construction of large, specialized pieces that are critical elements of wind turbine foundations, including boat landings and ladders, external concrete platforms, supported internal platforms, monopile doors and anode cages.

When complete, the components will be shipped to the Ocean Wind 1 project site. Offshore construction for the project is anticipated to begin in 2024. This project aims to begin delivering 1,100 megawatts of clean, renewable energy in 2025, enough to power 500,000 homes and businesses.

The scope of work, totaling more than 400,000 person-hours, demonstrates the growing U.S. supply chain and significant job opportunities brought by offshore wind, project officials said:

• Riggs Distler will spend an anticipated 300,000 plus person-hours on the project;
• Minority-owned, Maryland-based Crystal Steel Fabricators will be providing 115,000 person-hours to fabricate and deliver the boat landings and ladders for the wind turbine foundations;
• New York-based technology manufacturer LJUNGSTRÖM will contribute 60,000 person-hours on the prefabrication and delivery of steel components for the turbines.

Hina Kazmi, Ocean Wind 1 program director for Ørsted, obviously was thrilled to make the announcement.

“Given their experience successfully delivering advanced foundation components for two of our Northeast projects — South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind — Riggs Distler will play an integral role in advancing our Ocean Wind 1 project,” she said. “We take pride in awarding the secondary steel scope for New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm to an established firm with New Jersey roots employing union labor.”

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Cherry Hill, Riggs Distler, a Centuri company, has a growing portfolio of work in emerging clean energy technologies throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Riggs Distler will employ more than 145 personnel, including over 125 skilled tradesmen and women from local labor unions, to build the offshore wind foundation components.

Riggs CEO Steve Zemaitatis said the company is eager to get going.

“From onshore substation, duct bank and utility interconnection construction, to fabricating, constructing, assembling, inspecting and providing onshore installation of advanced foundation components for offshore wind farms, we are enabling hundreds of thousands of American homes to be powered by clean energy while building the local supply base to support this exciting renewable industry,” he said. “We are proud that our work is creating economic growth and job opportunities right here in our own backyard as we work to build a cleaner energy future.”