U.S. Shipbuilding Delays Push Empire Wind’s First Power Into 2027

The delayed work is the installation of Empire Wind’s 54 offshore turbines. Equinor said the 810-megawatt project is about 80% complete, but support-vessel delays have pushed installation back several months. First power is now expected during the first half of 2027.

The project uses Maersk Viridis, a Singapore-built installation vessel. Because that vessel cannot carry components between U.S. points, U.S.-built barges and tugs must bring turbine parts from the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal to the vessel offshore. Those support vessels have not been ready on the original schedule.

Equinor said turbine installation is expected to start next year. All 54 foundations, the offshore substation, and cable work are complete. The delay is important because it shows how vessel availability and domestic construction requirements can determine whether U.S. offshore wind projects meet their planned dates.

Specialized U.S.-built barges and tugs are needed because Empire Wind’s main installation vessel was built overseas. The Jones Act restricts certain transportation between U.S. points to vessels that meet U.S. construction and operating requirements. Maersk Viridis cannot perform that domestic transport itself.

The support vessels collect turbine components at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. They carry those components offshore and connect directly with Maersk Viridis. This lets the installation vessel receive parts without making repeated trips back to port. The system depends on both the foreign-built vessel and the compliant U.S.-built support fleet.

Delays affecting the barges and tugs have postponed offshore turbine installation. Maersk Viridis arrived near Pascagoula in August for testing and preparations, but the support-vessel schedule remains a bottleneck. The problem highlights the importance of domestic vessel construction for U.S. offshore wind projects.

Empire Wind is one of the largest offshore wind projects under construction in the United States. Its planned capacity is 810 megawatts, a measure of how much electricity the project can generate at a given time. The project’s scale makes its construction schedule significant for New York’s power supply.

The project is located approximately 14 miles south of Long Island. It will use 54 offshore wind turbines. The turbines are installed on foundations in the seabed, while subsea cables and an offshore substation are part of the electrical system that carries and organizes the generated power.

Once operational, Empire Wind is expected to generate enough electricity for roughly 500,000 New York homes. Equinor said all turbine foundations, the offshore substation, and cable work are complete. Turbine installation remains the major offshore task, with first power expected in the first half of 2027.

The Jones Act is a U.S. law governing transportation of goods between U.S. points. Among its requirements, vessels performing that domestic service generally must meet U.S. rules covering construction, ownership, and operation. These restrictions are intended to support the U.S. maritime industry and domestic shipbuilding.

Maersk Viridis is Singapore-built, so it cannot transport turbine components from the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal to the offshore installation site. That movement is treated as transportation between U.S. points. The vessel can still install turbines, but it needs another arrangement for receiving their components.

Empire Wind uses U.S.-built barges and tugs to solve this problem. They carry components offshore and transfer them directly to Maersk Viridis. The approach keeps domestic transport with qualifying support vessels while allowing the foreign-built vessel to perform specialized installation work. Delays to those support vessels have affected the schedule.

Empire Wind’s transfer system separates domestic transportation from offshore installation. U.S.-built barges and tugs handle the movement of turbine components from the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. Maersk Viridis then performs the specialized work of installing those components offshore.

The barges are designed to connect directly to Maersk Viridis. Components can move from the barge to the installation vessel at sea, so Maersk Viridis does not need to return to port after every turbine load. This arrangement allows the foreign-built vessel to work within the Jones Act restrictions described in the article.

The system is technically useful but schedule-sensitive. Maersk Viridis arrived off Pascagoula in August for testing and preparations, while delays involving the U.S.-built support vessels postponed the installation campaign. All foundations are finished, but the turbines still require offshore installation before the project can begin producing electricity.

The delay changes the timing of Empire Wind’s spending, but Equinor does not expect it to increase total capital expenditure. Some spending will move from 2026 into 2027. Equinor previously estimated total investment, including redevelopment of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, at about $7.5 billion.

The project is also expected to receive about $2.5 billion in U.S. investment tax credits. Equinor expects roughly $2 billion of those credits in 2027 and the remaining $500 million in 2028. The company said the revised construction schedule should not change the timing of those credits.

The project has a $2.7 billion loan. Equinor said a federal court dismissed the suspension case on September 30, 2026, after the order expired. That dismissal removed the risk that the loan could become repayable within 12 months because of the suspension. The delay still shifts cash spending into a later year.

Offshore wind power generates electricity by using wind to turn turbine blades connected to generators. The turbines stand in the ocean, where foundations hold them in place. Electricity then travels through subsea cables toward an offshore substation, which helps collect and organize the project’s output before it moves onward.

At Empire Wind, all 54 turbine foundations have been completed. Equinor also said the offshore substation and cable work are finished. The remaining major offshore task is installing the turbines themselves, using Maersk Viridis and the supporting barges and tugs. Once connected, the system can send generated power toward New York.

Empire Wind has planned capacity of 810 megawatts and is located about 14 miles south of Long Island. Equinor expects it to power roughly 500,000 New York homes. First power is now expected in the first half of 2027, after the vessel-related delay.