US developer Vineyard Wind has unveiled plans to transform the port of Bridgeport into an offshore wind hub if the company’s bid to develop the up to 1200MW Park City Wind project is successful in Connecticut’s recent solicitation.
The plans would involve partnering with McAllister Towing and Transportation to transform Barnum Landing – a 7.4-hectare waterfront in Bridgeport that is currently under-utilised and undeveloped.
Vineyard said the site would host hundreds of local workers hired to do foundation transition piece steel fabrication and final outfitting.
An operations and maintenance facility would also be built to cover the 25-year plus life of the wind farm, the developer said.
Vineyard Wind chief Lars Thaaning Pedersen said: “Park City Wind is a tremendous opportunity to revitalise Bridgeport by creating thousands of good paying jobs with good benefits in both the wind industry and throughout the local supply chain.
“By selecting our project, the state will help make offshore wind a statewide industry, similar to aerospace, and tap into the innovative roots that have defined Connecticut for generations.
“Our commitment to Connecticut is significant. We see a future with thriving ports in both New London and Bridgeport and manufacturers in every corner of the state working to literally lift this industry off the ground in the US.
“If Park City Wind is selected, the jobs and economic opportunities created by this project will be available in the region for decades to come.”
McAllister Towing president Buckley McAllister said: “McAllister Towing and The Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company have been a part of Bridgeport’s maritime community for many, many years.
“We believe that the addition of a thriving offshore wind industry, with its beating heart at the centre of Bridgeport Harbour, will lead to jobs and economic benefits for generations to come.
“We wholeheartedly support the Park City Wind project and look forward to many years of partnership with Vineyard Wind.”
Vineyard Wind has also proposed funding to deliver benefits beyond the project, in partnership with the State of Connecticut, to attract permanent major offshore wind industry activities, such as manufacturing, port redevelopment, or steel component manufacturing, fabrication, and construction capabilities to the area.
The company’s proposal includes up to $26.5m worth of major workforce development initiatives, pilot programmes, and research opportunities in partnership with many longstanding Connecticut institutions, such as Building Pathways, Career Resources and Survival Systems.
Vineyard Wind will also work with Connecticut’s Center for Advanced Technology’s supply chain network programme to integrate local businesses into the project and offshore wind supply chain.
The initiative will result in a local supply chain database and the provision of grants to help local businesses enter the offshore wind industry.
Research funded by Vineyard Wind, in partnership with the Mystic Aquarium and the University of Connecticut’s Department of Marine Sciences will further the understanding of underwater noise generated by offshore wind projects and its effects on protected marine species and support efforts to assess potential impacts on commercial fisheries.
The developer has also partnered with the Connecticut Green Bank to implement an initiative that has the potential to lead to substantial energy savings for low-income households and improvements in Connecticut’s existing affordable housing stock.