Please see the Project Documents page for postings of prior public meetings and upcoming events.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The Salem Offshore Wind Terminal is a private-public partnership between the City of Salem and Crowley to develop, build and operate the state’s second major offshore wind port. Founded in 1892, Crowley is a privately held, U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company serving commercial and government sectors with nearly $2.9 billion in annual revenues, over 170 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet and approximately 7,000 employees around the world – employing more U.S. mariners than any other company. With decades of history in providing maritime and energy services, the company operates Crowley Wind Services to provide turn-key, end-to-send supply chain services for the wind energy industry.
The first tenant, Avangrid Renewables, LLC, is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc., and part of the IBERDROLA Group. Avangrid is a leading renewable energy company in the United States, owning and operating a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the U.S. Crowley is responsible for port design and construction management. Once construction is complete, Crowley will manage port and vessel operations for the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal. Crowley is the main point of contact for the project. For more information on Crowley and other services they provide, please visit www.Crowley.com. Avangrid will be the first lease holder once the construction is complete and will use the new facility as a marshalling port for offshore wind components. For more information about Avangrid, visit www.avangridrenewables.com.
As a municipal leader in reducing the impacts of climate change, the City of Salem is an important partner and included in many aspects of the development process. The City will own a portion of the property and plans to lease that area back to Crowley for operation of the Terminal. This will preserve the City’s long-term interests in the port and to facilitate future access to the harbor. The project is aligned with the City’s support of reaching 100% clean, renewable energy in the Commonwealth by reducing fossil fuel use and expanding clean energy.
All parties will share in workforce development, community engagement, grant funding and other services.
The Salem Offshore Wind Terminal will be used for staging and partial assembly of turbine components – including blades, nacelles, and tower sections – as the components are prepared for offshore installation. Components will be shipped from manufacturing facilities across the globe to Salem and loaded onto specialized vessels for offshore installation.
No. The Salem Offshore Wind facility will be a staging area for wind turbine components for offshore installation.
While the specifics of the site are still in development, below is a conceptual layout of the facility.
Salem Harbor, a Designated Port Area of Salem, is uniquely positioned to host an offshore wind terminal. To accommodate the scale of the turbines and their components, ports must have no vertical restrictions, a heavy lift capable wharf to support the loading and unloading of the turbine components, sufficient upland space to maneuver, store and preassemble the turbines and equipment, and relative proximity to wind farms in the region.
Salem Harbor is one of the few ports in the country that meets these requirements, and the only suitable port left in Massachusetts.
This project will be funded by a combination of private sources and state and federal funding. Multiple state and federal grant programs are currently available to help fund projects that create renewable energy opportunities.
Limited increased traffic to and from the site will occur during construction of the new facility, although, where feasible, deliveries by barge will be mandated. Truck routes will be established and enforced during construction through the preparation of a Traffic Management Plan. Once construction at the site is completed and normal operations begin, it is not expected to have any significant traffic impacts.
During the construction of the facility there will be commercial-sized vehicles making deliveries to the site. During the operational phase all large components will be delivered by sea via barges or other vessels.
The City of Salem will own approximately five acres of the property under the current joint cooperation agreement. The City-owned property will be leased back to Crowley in support of the project, but will preserve the City’s long term interests in the port in the future when the site is no longer being utilized for offshore wind. The City-owned property will also ensure cruise ships and other visiting vessels can continue to access the wharf. The City of Salem will also be part of the permitting process for the facility through the Salem Zoning Board of Appeals, Salem Planning Board, and the Conservation Commission.
The project’s benefits include:
- Create and support hundreds of clean energy jobs during and post construction
- Significantly invest in improvements to the city’s historic port at former coal energy site.
- Improve port infrastructure for cruise ships and other commercial marine uses
- Create opportunities for community partnerships in new science, education, and local workforce development initiatives
Lead the way in the fight to reduce the Commonwealth’s carbon footprint.
Cruise ships will continue to have access to the port. Ferry service will continue to operate out of the city-owned facilities at Blaney Street, which are not part of this proposed redevelopment. Over the long-term, the goal is to enhance access from the new wharf to Blaney Street for cruise ship passengers. Street for cruise ship passengers.
We are creating a new Waterfront Access Point at the end of Blaney street which is on the Salem Wind Terminal property which will be open to the public except during certain times where security or waterfront operations prohibit. This will provide a viewing area on to the terminal and out at the harbor and will also become the entrance to the terminal when it is occasionally used for cruise ships or other public access events. The rest of the terminal is a secure facility, and public access is not permitted. Crowley will also host public tours from time to time in connection with educational programs or community events.