The New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal (NBFMT) has opened its first deepwater berth in Massachusetts after two years of demolition and construction to support North America’s emerging wind energy sector.
The berth is part of Phase 2 of the project and was designed specifically to accommodate offshore wind service vessels. A 300-ft 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 all phases are completed, the terminal will host a monthly rotation of up to 300 offshore workers, said Andrew Saunders, president of NBFMT.
To complete the deepwater berth, it was necessary to dredge more than 80,000 cubic yards of contaminated material from the waters just off the site. When all dredging phases are 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.
