Groundbreaking for second offshore wind port in Massachusetts

Construction has begun to convert a former oil and coal-fired power plant site in Salem, Massachusetts, into a terminal for the offshore wind industry.

On August 15, Crowley Wind Services, the redevelopment company and operator of the new terminal, held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site where the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal and Massachusetts' second offshore wind port will be built.

The terminal, which is expected to be operational in 2026, is being built to support the construction of offshore wind farms in New England and future floating turbines in the Gulf of Maine, Crowley says.

The company also announced that it has hired Massachusetts-based joint venture DW White JF White as the general contractor for the project. The contractor has entered into a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the North Shore Building and Construction Trades and the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC).

Crowley purchased the property in 2022, when the company noted that the terminal was a public-private partnership between Crowley and the City of Salem, with Avangrid serving as the port's primary tenant with its Commonwealth Wind and Park City Wind projects.

In February 2023, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Crowley Wind Services and the City of Salem signed an agreement for the transfer of ownership, site improvements and ongoing operations of the new terminal. As part of the transactions, MassCEC purchased more than 42 acres (169,968 square meters) in the Port of Salem and transferred a 5-acre parcel to the City of Salem, including the port's existing deepwater berth.

Under the agreement, Crowley is responsible for redeveloping and operating the terminal. The company has signed a lease with MassCEC to use the site as an offshore wind marshalling yard, with a focus on projects for Massachusetts. The City of Salem has also leased a berth and surrounding land for this purpose.

The works carried out by Crowley Wind Services include upgrading the site by building heavy equipment infrastructure, constructing a new berth, upgrading the existing city berth and dredging the harbor channel.

The terminal is expected to create approximately 150 jobs during construction and an additional 20 to 30 jobs during busier periods to operate and maintain the facility. In addition, there will be at least eight long-term Crowley employees who will manage the terminal during operations.

During the project phase, 60 to 150 jobs – from engineering to construction – will also be available to the terminal’s tenants and their contractual partners.

The groundbreaking ceremony on August 15 was also attended by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo.

“After providing $389 million in federal funding for offshore wind energy transmission in Somerset, expanding the port in New Bedford, and now breaking ground in Salem, Massachusetts is well positioned to support the growing offshore wind industry,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These infrastructure investments are boosting local economies, creating union jobs and transforming the way we power our homes and businesses. Credit goes to Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for her vision, Mayor Pangallo for securing a strong community benefits agreement, and the many other stakeholders making the transition to offshore wind.”

As reported on August 7, the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $389 million (around €356 million) to the New England states as part of the second round of its competitive Grid Innovation Program for their plans to invest in regional electric infrastructure, including upgrading the transmission system to connect offshore wind energy to New England's power grid.

Following approval, the three U.S. states that launched the first federal offshore wind tender extended their bid selection deadline(s) by one month to allow time to review the impact of the transmission plan.

Offshore wind project proposals submitted to the RFP for all three states also include Avangrid's ready-to-use 791 MW New England Wind 1 project (formerly known as Park City Wind) and the 1,080 MW New England Wind 2 project (Commonwealth Wind).

Massachusetts also received offers from SouthCoast Wind Energy and Vineyard Offshore.

Rhode Island and Connecticut received offshore wind proposals from four project promoters: Avangrid Renewables, SouthCoast Wind Energy, Vineyard Offshore and Ørsted.

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