Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, including the State of Connecticut and its partners, have reached an agreement on a harbor revitalization plan for State Pier in New London, which will establish the region as a central hub in New England for the developing offshore wind industry.
Construction of the new hub for offshore wind is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2020, following bid solicitation and federal and state permitting. It is expected to be complete in March 2022.
The Connecticut Port Authority, the state’s quasi-public agency responsible for marketing and coordinating the development of the state’s ports and maritime industry, and terminal operator Gateway, are partnering with Bay State Wind, a joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource, on the project.
The new deal aims to redevelop State Pier into a world-class, state-of-the-art port facility through combined public-private investment of $93 million to upgrade its infrastructure and heavy-lift capability.
“This new public-private partnership reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the state to increase procurement of offshore wind and make the economic expansion of our maritime economy a reality,” said Governor Lamont. “We look forward to working with our new partners to position Connecticut as a leader in the offshore wind industry and expand economic opportunity throughout the region.”
The upgrades will allow State Pier to meet the facility requirements of the offshore wind industry and will benefit the port’s long-term growth by increasing its capability to accommodate heavy-lift cargo for years to come.
The State Pier harbor development plan calls for a two-phased effort at State Pier. First, a three-year development project will upgrade the facility infrastructure to meet the heavy-lift requirements of Ørsted and Eversource’s offshore wind components. Second, following the successful completion of the project, Ørsted and Eversource will enter into a ten-year lease agreement granting their joint venture the use of State Pier for wind turbine generator assembly and staging.
“We’ve worked closely with the Connecticut Port Authority, Ørsted, and Eversource to help realize the collective vision of bringing the offshore wind industry to New London,” Philippe De Montigny and Matthew Satnick, co-CEOs of Enstructure, Gateway’s financial partner, said in a joint statement. “We believe our partnership will yield strong long-term growth for the City of New London and the State of Connecticut. As the port operator for both New Haven and New London, we will also ensure that our maritime terminal operations continue to deliver best-in-class service for our conventional cargo customers.”
This deal aligns with the Lamont administration’s plans to expand the use of carbon-free energy sources.
“Today’s announcement lays the foundation for Connecticut to play a leading role in the United States’ fast-growing offshore wind industry and supports our transition from older, dirtier fuel sources to clean, affordable, carbon-free energy,” Lee Olivier, Eversource Executive Vice President for Enterprise Energy Strategy and Business Development, said. “Our collaboration with the State of Connecticut, the Connecticut Port Authority, the City of New London and Gateway Terminal brings together the resources and expertise needed to redevelop the New London State Pier into a state-of-the-art offshore wind facility to help Connecticut reach its critical greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
Filed Under: Construction, News, Offshore wind
