PRESS RELEASE: Murphy, Blumenthal, New England Colleagues Urge Coast Guard to Delay Removal of Navigational Buoys
Interview with Connecticut Port Authority Executive Director Michael O’Connor
State Pier Terminal in the Port of New London
The Connecticut Port Authority and State of Connecticut, together with the offshore wind development joint venture of Ørsted and Eversource, have invested $310 million to redevelop the Authority’s State Pier Terminal in the Port of New London. Ørsted and Eversource have contributed $100 million to the project. The Terminal began assembly and marshaling operations in 2023.
As a result of this combined investment in the terminal, Connecticut is at the forefront of the new American offshore wind industry. The State Pier Terminal is the only active East Coast offshore wind marshaling terminal with unobstructed access to the ocean.
State Pier Terminal is already supporting the assembly and delivery of approximately 160 turbines for three offshore wind projects that will provide power to Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. Once installed, these projects will have an estimated output of 1,760 MW — enough to power more than 1 million homes.
Staging and assembly operations at the terminal in support of the South Fork Wind project have created more than 75 well-paying jobs, a figure that is expected to nearly double over the following year, as deployment of Revolution Wind kicks off in 2024
Project Highlights
- State-sponsored studies for decades recommended improvements to the terminal to ensure it serve as a significant driver of the state’s maritime economy. These studies also recommended that improvements be funded through a public-private partnership with a long-term lessee serving as a base of revenue generation. That exact scenario is now in place.
- The infrastructure upgrades have transformed State Pier into a modern, heavy-lift-capable marine terminal that meets the staging and assembly (marshaling) requirements of the offshore wind industry and make the site available for a wider range of traditional cargo than ever before.
- The upgraded terminal includes two heavy-lift platforms, each capable of handling loads of 5,000 pounds per square foot (psf). The rest of the terminal’s load bearing capacity has been enhanced to 3,000psf.
- The improvements benefit the port’s long-term growth by increasing the terminal’s capacity to accommodate heavy-lift cargo for years to come while maintaining its freight rail link.
Offshore Wind Marshaling
Three offshore wind projects, totaling more than 1,760MW, are already scheduled to be delivered from State Pier Terminal:
- South Fork Wind, which is currently being assembled and marshaled from State Pier, will provide 132 MW of clean, sustainable energy to power 70,000 homes on the South Fork of Long Island, New York. South Fork Wind began delivering first power to the State of New York in 2023;
- Revolution Wind (304MW, State of Connecticut and 400MW, State of Rhode Island) will provide 704 MW of clean, sustainable energy to power 350,000 homes. Assembly and marshaling in support of Revolution Wind is scheduled to begin at the Terminal in 2024; and
- Sunrise Wind (924 MW, State of New York) will provide 924 MW of clean, sustainable energy to power nearly 600,000 homes. Sunrise Wind is scheduled to be operational in 2025.
When not supporting offshore wind staging and assembly operations, the terminal will be marketed to other commercial customers for maximum heavy-lift cargo utilization.
Local Waters. Global Solutions.
Connecticut is home to three deepwater ports (Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London) and a multitude of small harbors, rail lines, and interstate highways crisscrossing the state. Connecticut is uniquely located at the intersection of maritime access and distribution networks, and a thriving maritime industry in Connecticut means stronger economic growth across each of these assets.
The Connecticut Port Authority is overseeing new investments in infrastructure, dredging and intermodal terminal capabilities that are expanding the foundation of Connecticut’s maritime industry and building a thriving network of efficient, customizable transportation solutions.
Connecticut Port Authority is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact CPA by phone 860-577-5174 or email info@ctportauthority.com if you have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint.
