Map courtesy of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
To cement Massachusetts' position in the offshore wind industry, the state is expanding its first — as well as the country's first — marshaling site at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal to handle bigger and heavier turbine components as several staging sites come online along the Atlantic Coast.
"This expansion is needed to maintain and increase Massachusetts' competitiveness in the emerging offshore wind industry by providing facilities that will support the anticipated increased demand for port facilities that can deploy the larger, heavier turbine parts," the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) said in a recent news statement.
The quasi-state agency in charge of operating the terminal noted that the expansion was informed by input from offshore wind developers, turbine manufacturers, and installation companies to meet the "evolving needs" of the industry.
The New Bedford Light reported Aug. 14 that MassCEC has committed $45 million to the project with an anticipated completion date of December 2026. The agency also plans to apply for federal grants and pursue funding from other private sources.
In June, the Light reported MassCEC reached three deals totaling $10 million to acquire abutting real estate formerly owned by major seafood companies.
Prior to that, the New Bedford news source had looked into the terminal's future after MassCEC announced plans to use the state's second marshaling terminal in Salem to stage components, which broke ground the week of Aug. 12.
Since the New Bedford terminal's design and construction almost 10 years ago, a lot has changed in the wind industry: bigger specialty ports are up and running or are due to finish construction by 2026, and turbines have grown substantially in size.
Several months ago, MassCEC did not answer several questions from the Light on the terminal's future — such as whether the facility currently has the capacity to handle larger turbine components — but has now acknowledged the site's limitations.
"With the increasing size of both turbine components … the available area for component storage and turbine pre-assembly is a constraining factor for the [New Bedford] terminal," according to a project page on the MassCEC website. "A portion of the terminal's existing bulkhead/quayside area is not optimized, as one parcel is severely limited in its bearing capacity."
The projected growth, and a possible size cap, for future turbines, which now reach skyscraper heights, remains a debated subject within the offshore wind industry.
A MassCEC spokesperson did tell a reporter from the Light on Aug. 14 that the terminal — in its current state — has the capacity to handle 13- to 15-megawatt turbines. The facility's Vineyard Wind project uses 13 MW turbines, which is comparable to the capacity of other staging facilities available or under development.
Following the expansion work, the New Bedford terminal also will be able to support similar levels of inbound and outbound vessel movement as the other East Coast staging facilities, the state agency noted.
MassCEC CEO Emily Reichert said the expansion will "position the site as a long-term clean energy asset."
Terminal Being Enlarged to Create Marshalling Site
The expansion project at the New Bedford marine terminal will occur in four phases, the Light reported, and is set to include demolition, soil remediation, bulkhead redevelopment and extension, and construction of new office and warehouse space for developer tenants.
MassCEC's existing lease with Vineyard Wind runs until Dec. 31, with the option to extend it another 90 days.
Some of the construction will occur while Vineyard Wind's work at the site continues, and demolition of existing buildings could get underway later this year.
Per a MassCEC spokesperson, the "majority of the facility" will remain available for Vineyard Wind or other tenants, including the terminal's approximately 20-acre heavy-lift laydown and docking area.
When construction is completed, the available heavy-lift storage area will have been enlarged to a total of 26 acres, and increase the total heavy-lift quayside to 1,200 ft.
"The Port of New Bedford has long been a maritime leader in America, and the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal is now playing a pivotal role in launching America's next major maritime industry: offshore wind energy," Mayor Jon Mitchell said in a statement. "The support of the Healey-Driscoll Administration solidifies New Bedford's enduring leadership and positions it well to attract follow-on investment."
SouthCoast Wind Plans to Take Control in 5 Years
When asked if MassCEC has a developer in line to lease the terminal once Vineyard Wind does vacate, an agency representative told the New Bedford news outlet earlier this year that the focus in 2025 will be on the improvement and expansion project, noting that the work will not prevent use by an offshore wind developer or other potential tenants.
Though the facility is purpose-built for offshore wind, for years it found other work with cargo and shipping as early projects awaited requisite federal and state approvals.
SouthCoast Wind signed a lease with MassCEC in April, and a spokesperson for the developer previously told the Light that the company plans to take control of the terminal in 2029.
That company also plans to utilize larger turbines than those used for Vineyard Wind, which is installing blades the length of a football field.
SouthCoast Wind has so far invested $15 million in the New Bedford terminal, which Michael Brown, the CEO of Ocean Winds North America, SouthCoast Wind's parent firm, said "demonstrates our commitment to the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal for component [marshaling], and, more importantly, the resulting economic benefits that will come to the region from our project."
"As the offshore wind industry grows and expands, so does Massachusetts' port infrastructure," added Gov. Maura Healey in a statement following MassCEC's announcement.
"Throughout its history, the Port of New Bedford has served as a nexus of New England's economy, from whaling, to fishing, to offshore wind. The investments in and expansion of the port will help maintain Massachusetts' global leadership in offshore wind."
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