The project, scheduled for commissioning in 2016, will be one of the the world’s first offshore wind farms to feature Alstom’s Haliade™ 150-6 MW - the largest turbine installed in offshore waters today. The five turbines will produce enough to power more than 17,000 homes.

Moreover, according to Alstom, this project will be the first to support the exportation of offshore wind turbines from France, The wind turbines have been developed in Alstom’s Marine Energies Research and Development Centre in Nantes and will be manufactured in Alstom’s factories in Saint-Nazaire, France, due for completion at the end of 2014.

The contract scope includes the manufacturing of 5 Haliade™ 150-6 MW wind turbines and 15 years of operation and maintenance support for the Block Island Wind Farm owned and operated by Deepwater Wind. The Haliade™ 150-6 MW wind turbine operates without any gearbox (using direct-drive), thanks to a permanent-magnet generator. The machine features Alstom’s Pure Torque® design which protects the generator by diverting unwanted mechanical stress towards the tower, thereby optimising performance and reliability. Its 150-metre diameter rotor provides an energy yield that is 15% better than existing offshore turbines.

According to Jerome pécresse Alstom’s Renewable Power Sector president, the contract demonstrates how Alstom can be successful in serving both the growing international markets and tis strong domestic market in France. "It also allows us to concretely implement the various partnerships we have formed with local companies," he added.

The Block Island project could lead to a larger utility-scale offshore wind farm of more than 1GW, supported by a regional transmission system linking Long Island, New York, and southeastern New England. The project is aligned with The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s “Smart from the Start” offshore wind programme, which aims to accelerate the development of offshore wind along the eastern seaboard of the U.S.