CUT OFF, La. — At the Greater Lafourche Port Commission’s (GLPC) December board meeting, Gulf Wind Technology approved a lease agreement that will make Port Fourchon the first location in Louisiana to have an actual wind turbine.
According GLPC officials, the wind turbine and its components are currently journeying across the Atlantic to the United States. The process to reassemble the turbine will commence shortly after the arrival of its parts.
The significance of this announcement can’t be understated, said GLPC Executive Director Chett Chiasson. “It has always been our desire to become a hub for offshore wind just as we are for deepwater offshore oil and gas activity in the Gulf of Mexico," Chiasson explained. "This wind turbine will serve a crucial role in allowing us to do just that.”
The 187-feet tall turbine will be located at the Port Fourchon Coastal Wetlands Park.
James Martin, President and CEO of Gulf Wind Technology, which is managing the project, said the turbine will collect data while also having the potential to use its offtake energy to power GLPC's nearby emergency operations building. A Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant will also provide some basic infrastructure for the Coastal Wetlands Park.
The addition of the wind turbine will provide a platform for education and training for regional businesses and workers in the installation, operation and maintenance of wind farms, authorities say. The turbine will also be an important vehicle for Gulf Wind Technology to collaborate with STEM, colleges, universities and national laboratories to demonstrate innovative technologies designed specifically for the Gulf of Mexico.
“This project is a key enabler for the region to power its future by harnessing the wind," Martin said. "This turbine will demonstrate everything needed to deploy win energy projects in the region, which is an important stepping stone to enable more technical and economic developments in the future.”
The construction, commissioning and testing of the wind turbine will be approached with the goal of 100% local execution of the project. It is planned to be operational in the second half of 2024, reports show.
“These types of projects wouldn’t be possible if not for the full support of our Board of Commissioners who are always looking at ways to further opportunities for our region and its people,” Chiasson said. “This project will employ a local workforce and will establish a precedent through the data collected to help facilitate future opportunities that will look to bring more jobs and economic development to Port Fourchon and Lafourche Parish.”
