RFP issued for $100M marine terminal in New Bedford
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, a quasi public agency, is seeking bids for construction of a $100 million New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal on a 28-acre harbor parcel, according to a legal notice, Boston Business Journal reports.
When completed, the facility will provide berthing space for shipping vessels, including those delivering offshore wind components and the barges that will serve as construction vessels for offshore wind projects such as Cape Wind. The facility will increase the existing capability in New Bedford Harbor to receive ships up to 500 feet in length, increasing the city’s competitiveness as a medium-sized Northeast port, and putting the port at the forefront of what is expected to become a robust renewable-energy supply chain industry, according to MassCEC.
In addition to receiving and handling large offshore wind components, the terminal will provide the port with a new capability to receive oversized equipment such as rail cars and industrial-sized boilers.
The project is a collaboration involving the city of New Bedford and the state, including the executive offices of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Administration and Finance as well as the departments of Environmental Protection and Fish and Game.
Bids are due Jan. 23. Apex Companies Waterways Division, a marine and infrastructure engineering and environmental services group, is serving as the commonwealth’s permitting, design and construction implementation consultant.
