Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton received three construction bids for the development of the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, which once constructed, will be the first facility in the nation designed to support the construction, assembly, and deployment of offshore wind projects.
MassCEC received bids from three contractors: Cashman Equipment Corp. of Braintree, Cashman-Weeks NB of Quincy and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC of Oak Brook, Illinois.
“The development of this port facility will further establish Massachusetts as the hub for the emerging offshore wind energy industry along the East Coast,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan , who chairs the MassCEC Board of Directors.
This multi-purpose facility will also be able to handle high-volume bulk and container shipping, as well as large specialty marine cargo. As part of construction, the project includes the dredging and removal of approximately 250,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, a significant environmental benefit to the City of New Bedford. The first-of-its kind in North America, the terminal will be engineered to sustain mobile crane and storage loads that rival the highest capacity ports in the world.
“This is another significant step toward the construction of this one-of-a-kind facility, which will create local jobs and help to establish Massachusetts as a global destination for the offshore wind energy sector, ” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton.
MassCEC will review the bids submitted with the goal of signing with a general contractor as soon as possible, but not later than 90 days. A committee of MassCEC staff and professional engineers will review the bids for compliance with the bid requirements and determine the lowest qualified bidders.
The terminal, which will be located inside New Bedford Harbor and protected by the hurricane barrier, will be in close proximity to offshore wind planning areas along the East Coast that are under consideration for development. The federal government is leading an offshore wind permitting and leasing process in nine states, including Massachusetts, along the Atlantic Coast. That process is expected to lead to the construction of multiple projects, many of which could make use of this first-in-the-nation facility.
Offshore wind is the largest potential source of clean energy for Massachusetts, and its development can create a significant new industry here in the Commonwealth. The U.S. Department of Energy projects 43,000 clean energy jobs will be created in the offshore wind industry nationally by 2020. The Patrick-Murray Administration set the ambitious goal of reaching 2,000 megawatts of wind energy in Massachusetts by 2020. This goal is part of Governor Patrick’s nation-leading support for clean energy policies aimed at reducing reliance on foreign sources of energy, cutting energy costs and use, while cutting harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
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Press Release, February 19, 2013