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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 “All of the old, outdated buildings are now gone and the recently completed waterside improvements position us to be the gateway to the offshore wind lease blocks.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.