Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford officially opens North End port terminal

October 10, 2024 — New Bedford has officially welcomed a new, $42 million multi-purpose port terminal to its working waterfront.

The 10-acre North Terminal on the lower Acushnet River includes a 961-foot bulkhead, a warehouse, and a large flat space with direct rail access. The project was designed to support a variety of maritime tenants, including offshore wind companies and commercial fishers.

Dignitaries gathered Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey delivered remarks, as did U.S. Rep. Bill Keating and Mayor Jon Mitchell. New Bedford Port Authority director Gordon Carr; EPA Region 1 director David Cash; Tom Morkan, regional director of MARAD, the federal marine administration; and a host of state and local officials were on hand.

Read the full article at Providence Business First

MASSACHUSETTS: Port of New Bedford Celebrates Completion of North Terminal Expansion $42.7 million project increases the Port’s economic competitiveness

October 8, 2024 — The following was released by the New Bedford Port Authority:

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Edward Markey, and Representative William Keating joined Mayor Jon Mitchell and other officials Tuesday to celebrate the successful completion of the North Terminal expansion project, a new maritime facility that will strengthen the Port’s competitiveness in fishing, offshore wind, and other industries.

The expansion of North Terminal is the latest piece of the modernization of the Port of New Bedford. Over the past 10 years, the Port has seen the largest set of infrastructure upgrades in generations which, upon completion, will top $1 billion.

The completed terminal has 965 linear feet of bulkhead, provides 10.5 acres of terminal space, and utilizes a 56,000-square-foot warehouse with direct rail and road access. With upgraded bulkheads, new berthing facilities, enhanced dredging, and expanded laydown space, North Terminal is designed to streamline logistics for businesses and facilitate future Port expansions.

“The Port of New Bedford is the primary driver of economic activity in Southeastern Massachusetts. The North Terminal expansion project was a critical step to advancing the Port’s ability to meet the emerging demands of New Bedford’s offshore wind and maritime technology industries. I want to thank Senators Markey and Warren, Rep. Keating and the rest of the federal delegation, Gov. Healey and our state delegation, and everyone at the New Bedford Port Authority and on the local level for helping us overcome various legal, financial, and engineering challenges to get this project to the finish line,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

Funding for the $42.7 million project came from a mix of local, state, and federal sources, including:

  • FY18 DOT BUILD grant $        15.6 million
  • FY19 MassWorks Dredging grant $        11.4 million
  • Massachusetts SEC $          1.0 million
  • MassCEC $         11.8 million
  • City of New Bedford (ARPA) $            2.3 million
  • New Bedford Port Authority $          0.6 million
  • Total Infrastructure Investments $        42.7 million

The North Terminal extension improves efficiency, helps reduce costs of commercial enterprises based in the Port, and will create new opportunities for enhanced commercial fishing, marine construction, and offshore wind operations. The improvements will also extend the useful life of existing Port resources and are a crucial component of the Port’s long-term strategy to adapt to growing demands, especially with the emerging offshore wind industry and the increasing needs of commercial fisheries.

“Massachusetts has a great team, and our federal, state, and local leadership delivers results,” said Senator Warren. “I fought for over $15 million to help the Port of New Bedford gain a competitive edge, and I’ll keep pushing to bring home even more investments to improve infrastructure across the Commonwealth.”

“The Port of New Bedford is a triple threat: the number one fishing port by value in the nation, an innovator on offshore wind development, and a regional leader in maritime technology industries,” said Senator Edward J. Markey. “This expanded infrastructure will be a game changer for New Bedford and beyond. As we cut the ribbon on this project funded by federal, state, and city investments, which I was proud to help fight for in Congress, I look forward to working with the City as we continue to put new dollars into this waterfront economic engine, for New Bedford and beyond.”

“The Port of New Bedford is an economic driver for our entire region, and the completion of the North Terminal Expansion will ensure that the port continues to lead on fishing and offshore wind for decades to come,” said Congressman Bill Keating. “This project is the successful result of many different federal, state, and local partners working together to make sure the Port of New Bedford can grow, evolve, and remain competitive which will continue to drive our economy and put food on tables across the South Coast.”

This milestone marks a pivotal step in reinforcing New Bedford’s position as the nation’s leading seaport for commercial fishing, offshore wind development, and maritime industries. This project has further cemented the Port of New Bedford as a vital hub for New England’s economy.

“The significant state investments in this project coupled with strong support from our federal partners will help spur major job creation in New Bedford to serve the needs of our commercial fishing industry as well as the newly emerging offshore wind activity in an increasingly busy port,” said Senator Mark Montigny, who has led the legislative efforts to steer substantial state investments across New Bedford’s working waterfront.  “The expanded North Terminal will keep New Bedford at the forefront of maritime activity now and into the future.”

“This project came to fruition because of the continuing commitment our federal, state, and local leaders make to position the Port of New Bedford for the future. The North Terminal project exemplifies our obligation to provide first-rate infrastructure that supports the thriving maritime industries of New Bedford. This development will allow us to meet the needs of our fishing fleet, welcome new offshore wind ventures, and foster regional economic growth,” said Gordon Carr, executive director of the New Bedford Port Authority.

The North Terminal expansion is part of a decade-long reimagining of the Port under Mayor Mitchell’s Administration with more than $1 billion in infrastructure investments to support the offshore wind, commercial fishing, and marine technology industries. With projects totaling more than $150 million currently in development and construction, the Port of New Bedford continues to improve operations, attract new businesses, and promote economic prosperity throughout Greater New Bedford.

 

 

MASSACHUSETTS: GE sends two turbine blades from New Bedford to France

October 8, 2024 — For more than a year, big, blue heavy lift vessels have carried gargantuan GE Vernova wind turbine components into the Port of New Bedford, where, soon after, a barge carries them out as a set: three blades, two tower pieces, and one nacelle.

But on Friday, one of the delivery vessels, the Rolldock Sun, was seen carrying at least two blades out of New Bedford. It was not headed for the Vineyard Wind site, according to vessel tracking websites, but to France: specifically, the Port of Cherbourg, where GE Vernova has a blade manufacturing facility.

The Rolldock Sun had come into port from Cherbourg a few days earlier with four blades visible on deck. Blades for the project have been shipped from factories in Canada and France, but it is unclear how many have come from each.

Friday’s transit raises the question of why the wind project — which spends considerable time and money shipping major components from Canada and France into the U.S. — would ship blades overseas from New Bedford.

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: Immigrant Voices Exhibit Coming to New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center

October 7, 2024 — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center has a new look and a host of events coming up in October and November, including interesting films, live music and a new exhibit entitled “Casting a Wider Net.”

We talked this week with Joe Ritter, the FHC’s Director of Programs, about the upcoming schedule and the new look of its Bethel Street headquarters.

“A lot of hard work went into the design and creation of our new exterior look,” Ritter said. “Our recently-hired Marketing Specialist Matt Moyer Bell, a local artist, designed the project with help from Reidar’s Trawl Gear and Marine Supply. He also worked with local photographers to curate their photos of New Bedford’s Working Waterfront. ‘Catch the Tradition’ is a permanent art installation for us.”

Read the full article at WBSM

MASSACHUSETTS: Oyster farmers find northernmost blue angelfish ever reported off the coast of Cape Cod, org says

October 2, 2024 — Cape Cod husband and wife oyster farmers were flipping bags on their oyster grant in Little Pleasant Bay in Orleans last week when a colorful little fish caught their eye.

When Tim Silva was working on flipping the 5,000 floating bags of oysters on Wednesday to help clear them of debris and establish the oyster shapes, he noticed a blue.

“Not a normal blue,” Silva said. “It was moving, and it was fish that was not supposed to be there.”

The fish, which would later be identified as a blue angelfish, gravitated towards Danielle Orcutt, his wife’s hands, presumably to keep warm. Since colder waters were approaching, Silva and Orcutt knew they needed to find a place where the fish could survive. So, they called Wild Care, a wildlife rescue nonprofit on the Cape.

Read the full article at Boston.com

MASSACHUSETTS: Bay State’s offshore wind prices about to reset

September 26, 2024 — Massachusetts residents already pay some of the highest electricity prices in the country and the state is going to need a lot more power as it tries to make a big shift away from fossil fuels. So how much will it cost to generate cleaner electricity with offshore wind?

The pricing details for the state’s latest slate of offshore wind projects won’t be available until contracts are put on file this winter and it is clearly a sensitive topic for the industry and its boosters in state government. The projects chosen this month are widely expected to cost ratepayers more than previous projects, and the Healey administration would only say that they will be cost effective when compared to the cost of building other power generation projects in the future.

Boston area electricity prices were 64 percent above the national average last month, federal data show, and Massachusetts abandoned its attempt at forcing a declining cap on offshore wind power prices in 2022 when it eliminated the legal requirement that each new project selected charge a lower price than the previous one.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: NOAA report sends mixed message on wind power and risk to whales

September 26, 2024 — Federal agencies have reauthorized a controversial permit for Vineyard Wind’s final phase of construction, allowing the wind farm developer to continue pile driving with some impact on endangered whale species.

The permit allows Vineyard Wind to finish pile-driving the foundations for its wind turbines in proximity to whales. It does not declare that the industry will not harm whales. It calls it “extremely unlikely” that it will hurt any North Atlantic right whales. But it says a small number of whales of other species may experience temporary to permanent hearing impairment as a result of the noise from pile-driving.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

MASSACHUSETTS: State picks New Bedford waterfront site for ocean energy center

September 24, 2024 — The state’s alternative-energy development agency has chosen a waterfront spot for a center devoted to ocean-related power research, building and field-testing equipment, and cultivating new enterprises.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center wants to lease less than half an acre from the New Bedford Port Authority on MacArthur Boulevard encompassing the 19th-century Bourne Counting House and a parking area next to it.

The stone structure would provide office and meeting space. A portion of the parking lot is slated for a new structure for building prototypes for ocean-related energy technology — chiefly, but not exclusively, wind power.

“This project is an exciting new opportunity for New Bedford to develop technology businesses, generate new demand for existing businesses, and elevate its stature as a leader in maritime industries,” Mayor Jon Mitchell wrote in a letter to the City Council, sending along a proposed 15-year lease for consideration this week.

Mitchell wrote that the center — to be established next to Merrill’s restaurant, across MacArthur Boulevard from the Fairfield Inn & Suites — “will establish a platform on which marine technology of all types can be developed and commercialized into new businesses.” He said it will also serve as a meeting point for industry conferences.

Read the full article at the The New Bedford Light

New challenges to offshore wind

September 24, 2024 — Economic and supply-chain warning signs are flashing again in the international wind energy sector.

Turbine manufacturer GE Vernova said Sept 20 it will downsize its offshore efforts, after a reported $300 million third-quarter loss in its wind business overshadowed the marketing push of its top-line Haliade-X machine.

A Haliade-X turbine lost a blade to fracture on the Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts in July, following two other blade failures on projects in Europe.

Read the full article at Workboat

Broken Blades, Angry Fishermen and Rising Costs Slow Offshore Wind

September 12, 2024 — The collapse of a giant wind turbine blade off the Massachusetts coast confirmed Peter Kaizer’s worst fears about the dangers a new clean energy business could pose to fishermen like him.

Jagged pieces of fiberglass and other materials from the shattered blade drifted with the tide, forcing officials to close beaches on Nantucket and leaving Mr. Kaizer worried about the threat the fragments might pose to his vessel and other fishing boats, especially at night when the debris would be harder to avoid.

“All these small boats could be subject to damage,” Mr. Kaizer said. “Everyone wants this green legacy, but at the cost of what?”

The blade, which was more than 300 feet long, failed in July, but the repercussions are still unfolding at the $4 billion project that it came from — Vineyard Wind 1. Developers had hoped to finish the project this summer, making it the first large-scale wind farm completed in U.S. waters, but now that goal will take a lot longer than expected.

The blade failure is the latest problem slowing the fledgling U.S. offshore wind industry, which the Biden administration and East Coast states are counting on to deliver emission-free energy to millions of people from Virginia to Maine. President Biden and governors of those states had hoped to follow the examples of European countries like Britain and Denmark, which have plunked down thousands of wind turbines around the North Sea.

But the American offshore wind business has struggled to get going because of cost overruns, delays in issuing permits, and opposition from local residents and fishing groups. Several large projects were canceled or postponed even before the blade failure in Massachusetts because their costs increased sharply and developers did not anticipate supply chain problems and higher interest rates.

Read the full article at The New York Times