In a milestone for U.S. offshore wind, a barge departed from New Bedford Harbor Wednesday afternoon carrying components for the first of 62 turbines for Vineyard Wind.
The tower, three blades and nacelle weigh more than 1,700 tons.
The barge would spend about half a day traveling 65 miles to the site south of Martha’s Vineyard.
A specialized vessel for installing the turbines is already there.
It will use a massive crane to unload the parts onto the vessel deck before lifting them into place.
Massachusetts electric companies, in cooperation with the state, selected Vineyard Wind five years ago for the state's first offshore wind contract.
The project won federal approval in 2021.
Vineyard Wind is expected to start generating power later this year.
