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New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal Opens Deep Water Berth to Accommodate Offshore Wind Vessels

August 29, 2024

Foss Transforms Derelict Power Plant Property into Gateway for Wind Industry to Provide Clean Energy 

Foss Prevailing Wind docked at new NBFMT deep-water berth

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – The New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal (NBFMT) this month opened its first deep water berth after two years of demolition and construction to support North America’s emerging wind energy sector. The berth is part of Phase II of the project and was designed specifically to accommodate offshore wind service vessels.  A 300-foot bulkhead has been installed and dredging has occurred to further improve the use of the berth for both domestic and international vessels.

Administrators with the operations and maintenance (O&M) facility under development anticipate that once completed, the terminal will host a monthly rotation of up to 300 offshore workers that will be a boon for the local economy, according to Andrew Saunders, a New Bedford native and president of NBFMT.

“It’s great to be part of a project that is transforming a derelict power generating station into a state-of-the-art offshore wind hub able to support projects here in the US Northeast,” Saunders said. “All of the old, outdated buildings are now gone and the recently completed waterside improvements position us to be the gateway to the offshore wind lease blocks. The opening of this new deep-water berth is just the beginning with more waterside and land side improvements that will occur over the next few years.

“We are very excited about what the future will bring for the industry and for the regional economy as a whole.  We’re building up to provide advanced management and warehouse space for partners who are servicing the burgeoning Northeast wind industry. With the opening of the deep-water berth, a consistent circulation of industry workers will spend a few days in town every month spending their company dollars on local businesses. Physically and financially, it’s truly a breath of fresh air for New Bedford.”

Future Phase III Completion Rendering

The 27-acre private terminal, owned by Foss Offshore Wind and local business leaders, has progressed through collaborations with city, state and federal agencies, notably New Bedford mayor Jonathan Mitchell, the New Bedford city council, the Port of New Bedford, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). MassCEC so far has contributed $15 million to the project.

In order to complete the deep-water berth, The City of New Bedford facilitated state, local and private funds to dredge more than 80,000 cubic yards of contaminated material from the waters just off the site. This work was part of the City’s Phase V Dredge Program that allows for the removal of legacy contamination from decades past.  In all, the Phase V Dredge Program will remove and encapsulate more than 500,000 cubic yards of contaminated material from New Bedford harbor.  When complete, the terminal will boast four large individual berths and a floating pier system that can accommodate up to eleven offshore wind construction and O&M vessels.

The New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal is a model that Foss intends to emulate in multiple East and West Coast markets as the wind industry grows over the coming years, according to Foss Offshore Wind president Joel Whitman in Boston.

“Our nation needs electricity and we need it from resources that don’t continue to send environmentally damaging materials into the atmosphere,” he said. “The terminal is an investment in the people and ports necessary to make this energy transition possible.”

About NBFMT: 

The New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal is a collaboration between Foss Offshore Wind, a Saltchuk Marine company, and Cannon Street Holdings, which is comprised of three local business leaders. Prior to transforming the property into a clean energy hub, the 27-acre property had a history of operating within the energy sector dating back to the whaling era more than a century ago then as a coal and oil facility through the modern era. Foss is developing the property through three phases: demolition that is complete, improvements to address the waterside infrastructure and site ground bearing capacity that is underway and eventual improvements to both expand the waterside capabilities and build out O&M warehouse, fueling capabilities and crew transport support structures. Further development, including a parking garage will coincide with industry growth over the coming decade.

About Foss Maritime

Foss was founded in 1889 in Tacoma, Wash., and grew to become the largest tugboat operation on the West Coast. Foss Offshore Wind was created in 2020 to service the growing offshore renewables market in the United States and globally. Encompassing the expansive service offerings from the Saltchuk family of companies, Foss Offshore Wind is uniquely positioned on the East and West coasts to provide clients with the full range of on- and offshore support services. Visit Foss Offshore Wind’s digital space to stay current on the New Bedford facility and future terminal and service expansions.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group awarded contract to construct four escort tugs for Saltchuk Marine

July 8, 2024

PANAMA CITY, FL – Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) has been awarded a contract to construct four new escort tugs for Saltchuk Marine. The vessels will be built at ESG’s Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities, with delivery expected in 2026.

“We are pleased to partner with Saltchuk Marine on this significant fleet renewal project. Our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable vessels with industry-leading low lifecycle costs that meet stringent environmental standards and support our customer’s missions for many, many years,” said Joey D’Isernia, Chairman and CEO of ESG.  “This contract award is more solid evidence that ESG is able to successfully design and build both government and commercial vessels while remaining highly competent and competitive in both arenas.”

“As the West Coast’s premier tug operator for more than a century, it’s critical that we continue to innovate and provide ship assist services in a manner that prioritizes safety and minimizes environmental impact,” said Jason Childs, Saltchuk Marine’s president and CEO. “The combination of Robert Allan team’s naval architecture and engineering experience and ESG’s proven history of building best-in-class vessels will ensure that we continue to provide our customers with the most reliable service on the West Coast, Hawaii, and Alaska.”

As a premier builder of commercial vessels in the United States, Eastern Shipbuilding Group is renowned for delivering high-quality tugs on budget and on schedule that have the resilience to support operations for decades. Over the past 20 years, ESG has successfully delivered 35 ship assist tugs to satisfied customers. This contract marks the beginning of Saltchuk Marine’s long-term fleet renewal project, with the new tugs set to support West Coast port operations and comply with EPA Tier 4 and California Air Resources Board (CARB) environmental requirements.

VESSEL SPECS:

Customer – Saltchuk

Delivery – 2026

Type – Ship Assist/Escort Tug

Length, overall – 84′-0″ (excluding fenders)

Breadth, moulded – 42′-0″

Depth, moulded – 14′-0″

Draft, navigation – 18′-7″

Accommodation for – 8 persons

Speed, ahead – 12 knots

Bollard Pull, minimum – 95 Short Tons (86.2 MT)

Main Engines – Caterpillar 3516E, EPA Tier 4, 3500 hp (2610 kW) @ 1,800 rpm

Thrusters – Schottel RudderPropeller SRP 510

Hawser Winch – Markey Machine DEPGF-52, 75HP, Single Drum Class II Winch

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About Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) is an American owned and operated shipbuilder with three shipyards on the Florida Gulf Coast. They build world class vessels for national defense and commercial clients, including the U.S. Coast Guard’s Heritage Class Offshore Patrol Cutters. ESG is the largest private sector employer in Northwest Florida and is a 2017 recipient of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Small Business of the Year award. With a portfolio of over 350 vessels and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) certified systems, ESG is known as one of the most diverse vessel construction companies in the country. www.easternshipbuilding.com

About Saltchuk Marine

The Saltchuk Marine family, with the tugboat as the center of our services, is steeped in a rich and storied history of innovation and service. With a keen use of technology, Saltchuk Marine companies: Foss Maritime, Young Brothers, Cook Inlet Tug & Barge, AmNav Maritime, and Foss Offshore Wind continue to lead the industry in harbor services and marine transportation solutions, with safety and the environment leading our principles. Saltchuk Marine is part of Saltchuk. Saltchuk provides air cargo, domestic shipping, international shipping, logistics, marine services, and energy distribution services throughout North America. Visit www.saltchuk.com for more information.

Young Brothers Appoints Two New Board Members

April 19, 2023

Grant Chun and Emily Porter join the company’s executive board

PORT OF HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I – Young Brothers announced the appointment of Grant Chun and Emily Porter to its board of directors. Chun and Porter join the board as local business and community leaders who will help oversee Young Brothers’ strategic direction and mission. ​

“Both Grant and Emily are talented Hawai‘i-grown leaders who bring a new level of depth and vision to our board,” said Jay Ana, president of Young Brothers. “Their unique perspectives and knowledge will help us navigate challenges and seize opportunities as we continue to serve the people and businesses of Hawai‘i.”

From left to right: Grant Chun and Emily Porter

Grant Chun has extensive leadership experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, having held prominent positions at A&B Properties Inc. and the County of Maui. He is the executive director of Hale Mahaolu, a nonprofit dedicated to developing and managing safe, accessible housing and providing supportive services for low to moderate-income seniors, families and individuals in Maui. He has also served on the board of directors for numerous nonprofit organizations, such as A Keiki’s Dream, Alexander & Baldwin Foundation, Maui Economic Opportunity and the Legal Aid Society of Maui Economic Development Board. Grant is an alumnus of the University of Southern California and the University of California, Hastings College of Law (now known as UC Law San Francisco).

As Chief Operating Officer at MacNaughton, a Hawai‘i-based real estate investment and development firm, Emily Porter brings expertise in organizational development, strategic planning, corporate governance, legal and risk management, operations, and corporate social responsibility. She serves on several nonprofit boards, including Child and Family Services, Punahou School, Oahu Transit Services, Inc., and Outrigger Canoe Club. A distinguished alumna of Punahou School, Princeton University, and Harvard Law School, Emily has been recognized as a Pacific Business News Woman Who Means Business and Hawaii Business Magazine’s 20 for the Next 20, among several other honors.

Media Kit (Courtesy of Young Brothers)

About Young Brothers

Young Brothers, LLC is Hawai‘i’s trusted interisland freight company. Founded more than 120 years ago, Young Brothers is responsible for transporting 100% of all ocean cargo that originates and ends in Hawaiʻi and is the only water carrier to serve Lāna‘i and Moloka‘i. The publicly-regulated company offers 12 weekly sailings between the ports of Nāwiliwili, Honolulu, Kaumalapau, Kaunakakai, Kahului, Kawaihae, and Hilo. Around 380+ highly skilled employees move what matters most for Hawai‘i using state-of-the-art shoreside equipment and a fleet of eight barges and eight tugboats, including four fuel-efficient Kāpena-class tugs. Young Brothers is an independently managed subsidiary of Foss and part of the Saltchuk family of companies. For more information, visit www.youngbrothershawaii.com and connect via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal reaches demolition milestone

January 30, 2023

New Bedford, MA – Demolition continues at the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal in preparation to support offshore wind projects off Massachusetts and the U.S. Northeast seaboard.

As part of the demolition of the Power Station building, the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal reached a demolition milestone with the smokestack implosion last Friday morning, January 27.

“There has been a significant amount of work to get us to this point, and we could not have gotten here without the support of the people in the neighboring community and government officials on both the local and state level.  The implosion of the smokestack symbolizes a point of cleaning up this site and transitioning to clean energy,” said Andrew B. Saunders, President of the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal.

The terminal, slated to open in Spring 2023, will provide storage and laydown areas for equipment and materials, berth facilities for a range of vessels such as crew transfer vessels (CTV) and service operation vessels (SOV) as well as Foss tugs and barges. It will also house new office space for project teams, crew marshaling facilities, workspaces, and a marine coordination center for technicians supporting the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Industry.

“The demolition of the Cannon Street Station marks an important milestone in New Bedford’s effort to become the East Coast leader in offshore wind energy as the new Foss Terminal will be able to serve a variety of maritime support functions. We are rapidly modernizing the Port of New Bedford, and we are grateful that Foss will be a major part of the Port’s future,” said New Bedford’s Mayor Jon Mitchell

“Progress is being made at the terminal and the implosion of the smokestack serves as the milestone as we prepare to serve the offshore wind market,” said Joel Whitman, President of Foss Offshore Wind.  “The repurposing of this facility to support offshore wind has been a vision for many in this community and it is great to see the project continue to take shape,” added Whitman.

(Video courtesy of Anchor QEA)

New Bedford Foss Terminal Opening to Support Offshore Wind

March 23, 2022

New Bedford, MA – The Port of New Bedford will add another base of operations and terminal logistics facility to support offshore wind projects off Massachusetts and the northeastern coast seaboard.

The former Sprague/Eversource site was selected for its proximity to offshore wind blocks located approximately 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket islands. The site will undergo redevelopment over the next year and be renamed the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal. The terminal, slated to open in March 2023, will provide storage and laydown yards for equipment and materials, berth facilities for tug and barge operations, and host crew transfer vessel (CTV) and service operation vessel (SOV) support services. It will create new office space for project teams and a marine coordination center for technicians involved in offshore wind projects.

Foss is partnering with key local investors of New Bedford’sCannon Street Holdings LLC (CSH) to develop the 30-acre site. Andrew Saunders, local commercial offshore marine industry attorney with Cannon Street Holdings, will serve as President of the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal.

“Today marks a big day for the Port of New Bedford and the City as a whole,” said Saunders. “The repurposing of this facility to support offshore wind has been a vision for many and it is great to see this project now begin to materialize”.  “This day was the result of a lot of support from the many key local and state government stakeholders as well as industry stakeholders and we would not have gotten to this point without this support.  Both Sprague and Eversource also helped greatly in bringing this day to reality. Thank you to all involved”.

“The New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal is perfectly situated to support offshore wind projects on the East Coast,” said Jason Childs, President and CEO of Saltchuk Marine. “We appreciate the vision of the City and Port of New Bedford and the vital role they are playing in making this project a success,“ added Childs.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell lauded the announcement. “We are thrilled to welcome Foss to the Port of New Bedford. The new terminal will solidify the Port’s status as the East Coast’s leader in offshore wind, complement our fishing industry, and create opportunities for our residents,” Mayor Mitchell said. “I congratulate Andrew Saunders and Foss’s parent, Saltchuk Marine, for their skillful and persistent effort to close this important deal.”

“Congratulations to Andrew, John and Lou at CSH and Foss for acquiring the Sprague and Eversource sites and building a marine terminal there to support the offshore wind companies. Today’s announcement of the acquisition for a new marine terminal brings New Bedford another step closer to realizing the economic and environmental benefits of the offshore wind industry and the city’s role within it. This is an exciting day for New Bedford and the SouthCoast region, and the role our city will continue to play in offshore wind development and renewable energy.” said local State representative Antonio F.D. Cabral (D – New Bedford) whose district includes the property.

“Re-dedication of this local port facility in New Bedford to provide support services for the coming Massachusetts wind renewable industry will provide jobs and economic growth while complementing the existing fishing, shipping and recreational maritime users in the harbor”, said local Representative Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett), whose district includes both port communities of New Bedford and Fairhaven.  Rep. Straus is the House Chair of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.

“Congratulations to Foss and the City of New Bedford for continuing to build on the momentum that the emerging offshore wind industry is gaining in our community. This project is another opportunity to spur economic development in the region,” said local Representative Christopher Hendricks (D-11^th Bristol).

“The people of New Bedford should be very excited that a private company has decided to make such a huge investment in our community.  This type of private investment in our city should be an example of how important offshore wind will be to our community over the next generations.  Very proud that a native of New Bedford was able to put this all together.  Hats off to Andrew and the team at Saltchuk.” said local State Representative Christopher Markey (D-Dartmouth) of the 9^th Bristol District which includes New Bedford.

“Foss’s investment in New Bedford is a great example of how the emerging offshore wind industry, led by the Vineyard Wind 1 project, can have a meaningful impact on the community,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller.  “The agreement will not only expand Foss’s operations in Massachusetts but also create opportunities for local residents. We’re proud to work with Foss and look forward to the positive effect their presence will have in the City of New Bedford.”

“We are happy that we supported Foss in its development of this terminal as we believe that this is an example of creating added value in the development of offshore wind along the Northeast US coastline. It shows that cooperation, long term relationships and trust between companies and people creates opportunities for multiple parties and leads to local job creation”, said Jan Klaassen, director of DEME Offshore US.

The seller, Sprague Massachusetts Properties, is wholly owned by Axel Johnson Inc. which is a private operating company with a mission to invest in and help grow great industry-leading businesses over the long term. Until mid-2021, Axel Johnson was the majority owner of Sprague Operating Resources with Sprague utilizing the New Bedford facility as a petroleum marketing location. In the near term, Sprague will continue to service the New Bedford petroleum market from its nearby Providence, Rhode Island distribution terminals via truck.

“We’re proud of our continued partnership with the City of New Bedford and the work that has already gone into the waterfront site over the past several years,” said Eversource Executive Vice President for Corporate Relations and Sustainability Jim Hunt. “Redeveloping the property will bring environmentally responsible economic development opportunities to the area as our region becomes a leader for offshore wind, which aligns with our work creating a more sustainable future.”

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held later this year, in conjunction with the One SouthCoast Chamber of Commerce.

Media Contacts:

Mark Grantor

206.448.5868

Andrew Saunders

508.264.6230

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ABOUT FOSS MARITIME

Founded in 1889, Seattle-based Foss Maritime offers a complete range of maritime services and project management to customers across the Pacific Rim, Europe, South America, and around the globe. Foss has one of the largest fleets of tugs and barges on the American West Coast. The company has harbor services and transportation operations in all major U.S. West Coast ports, including the Columbia and Snake River system, Hawaii, and Alaska. Foss offers worldwide marine transportation, emphasizing safety, environmental responsibility, and high-quality service. See www.foss.com for more information.

ABOUT CANNON STREET HOLDINGS

Cannon Street Holdings was established in 2021 to acquire and develop the Sprague/Eversource site into an offshore wind staging facility. Its principals are Louis A. Cabral, John A. Lees Jr., and Andrew B. Saunders. Each of the three principals are local members of the community and bring extensive experience to the project. In Early 2021, the project signed a public private partnership with the City of New Bedford which committed the development objective be focused on an offshore wind staging facility.

ABOUT SALTCHUK MARINE

The Saltchuk Marine family, with the tugboat as the center of our services, is steeped in a rich and storied history of innovation and service. With a keen use of technology, Saltchuk Marine companies: Foss Maritime, Young Brothers, Cook Inlet Tug & Barge, AmNav Maritime, and Starlight Marine continue to lead the industry in harbor services and marine transportation solutions, with safety and the environment leading our principles. Visit www.saltchukmarine.com for more information.

ABOUT EVERSOURCE

Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is the #1 energy company in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2021 and recognized as one of America’s Most JUST Companies. Celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to 1.8 million customers throughout Massachusetts, including approximately 1.45 million electric customers in 142 communities, 635,000 gas customers in 110 communities, and 8,700 water customers in five communities. Eversource harnesses

the commitment of approximately 9,300 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles, and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.