State and local officials joined Crowley Wind Services to celebrate the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal, a project that involves transforming a former oil- and coal-fired power plant into Massachusetts’ second wind port.
The terminal is being built to support the construction of offshore wind farms in New England and slated future floating turbines in the Gulf of Maine. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, MassCEC and the U.S. Maritime Administration have partnered with Crowley and the City of Salem on the terminal.
The company has awarded Massachusetts-based joint venture DW White JF White to be the project’s general contractor. The contractor has executed a project labor agreement with the North Shore Building and Construction Trades and the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.
“The Salem Wind Terminal will be a historic achievement, and we appreciate the trust and partnership by the City of Salem, Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the U.S. Maritime Administration to create a world-class wind terminal that reliably and safely serves the supply chain needs of the wind energy industry,” says Tom Crowley, Chairman and CEO of Crowley Corporation.
“This public-private partnership in Salem can be a model for communities and the industry to follow to achieve our commitments to create renewable, sustainable power.”
Crowley will be responsible for redeveloping and operating the terminal. They have signed a lease with MassCEC to use the site as an offshore wind marshaling port, with a focus on projects for Massachusetts. The City of Salem has also leased a berth and surrounding land for this purpose. Crowley’s Wind Services will improve the site by adding infrastructure for heavy equipment, constructing a new ship berth, upgrading the City’s existing berth and dredging the harbor channel.
The wind port is expected to begin operating in 2026.
