The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal is a multi-purpose facility designed to
support the construction, assembly and deployment of offshore wind projects, as well as
handle bulk, break-bulk, container and large specialty marine cargo.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
through the Massachusetts Clean Energy
Center, is investing in infrastructure aimed
at accelerating the success of clean energy
technologies, companies, and projects in
Massachusetts—while creating high-quality
jobs and long-term economic growth.
Strategic Location –
The Terminal is located within the Port of New
Bedford, Massachusetts second largest deepwater
commercial port. [41° 38' 10" N / 70° 56' 5" W] The
Port serves as an intermodal shipping center for the
Northeastern U.S. market and beyond.
Strategically positioned to support import-andexport trade, the Port is a designated Foreign Trade
Zone and is just 20 nautical miles from the Cape
Cod shipping canal, 83 miles south of Boston and
166 miles north of New York.
By land, the New Bedford Marine Commerce
Terminal may be accessed via Interstate 1-95 or I495 (via connections through New Bedford Route
18 and MA Route 140 and/or Route I-195).
A Multi-Purpose Terminal –
The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal is
in close proximity to offshore wind planning areas
being permitted and leased by the federal
government along the Atlantic Coast. That
process is expected to lead to the construction of
multiple projects, and the Terminal is ideally
located and engineered to handle the staging,
assembly and deployment of these projects.
The Terminal is also positioned to benefit from
the Panama Canal expansion that will enable
larger ships to travel from the Pacific Ocean to the
East Coast, creating new volumes of short sea
shipping in the region, resulting in lower
transportation costs and reduced emissions from
displaced truck traffic.
The Port of New Bedford remains America’s #1
fishing port since 1999. Distributed economic
activity from fishing operations is in excess of $1
billion annually. The Port is home to over 200
maritime-based businesses, including a cargo
shipping and cruise industry, bulk and break-bulk
cargo facilities, shipyard and vessel repair
facilities, as well as a significant fishing and
ferrying operations.
New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal
within New Bedford Harbor
The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal is located within New Bedford Harbor, which is protected by
and accessible via the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Hurricane Barrier.
Area Amenities & Work Force –
The Port of New Bedford offers a wide
variety of marine services, as well as a
wide variety of skilled labor that has been
developed in order to service the local
maritime and commercial fishing industry.
Hurricane Barrier –
To protect the Harbor from major storms
and hurricanes, USACE constructed a 3.5mile (5.63 kilometer) long stone hurricane
barrier between New Bedford and
Fairhaven in the 1960s. For over fifty
years, the structure has sheltered the City
from storms that have devastated
neighboring communities. The barrier
crosses New Bedford Harbor at its most
southern point and features massive storm
gates which temporarily narrow the 350
foot wide Federal Channel to 150 feet
(45.7 meters) to allow access. The gates
protect 1730 acres (700 hectares) of the
Harbor and close when forecasted tides
and waves meet critical action levels. The
top of the structure is 23 feet (7 meters)
above the mean low water level and is
designed to protect the Harbor from a
Category 3 Hurricane.
Depth –
Maintenance dredging is planned to return
all portions of federal channel to the
authorized depth of 30 feet. The harbor
has a tidal cycle of approximately 4 feet.
Map of New Bedford Harbor &
New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal
The New Bedford Marine
Commerce Terminal is a
multi-purpose facility
designed to sustain
extremely heavy loads.
Whereas many ports have a
small quayside area
specifically built and
designated as the high
capacity area, over 21 acres
(8.50 hectares) of the New
Bedford Marine Commerce
Terminal’s Main Terminal
Site has the ability to sustain
uniform loads of 20 metric
tons per square meter (4,100
pounds per square foot) and
concentrated loads of up to
100 metric tons per square
meter (20,485 pounds per
square foot).
In additional, the Main
Terminal Site is capable of
supporting a 1,350 metric
ton crane lifting a 500 metric
ton load at 30 meters along
the entire 1,000 foot
quayside and throughout the
more than 21-acre main
facility.
Map of New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal
Heavy Load Capacity – The high capacity quayside is supported by a complex system of cofferdams,
pile supported marginal wharfs and reinforced subsurface subgrades that allow heavy uniform and
concentrated loads.
Free of Overhead Restrictions – The pathway from the Atlantic Ocean into the New Bedford
Harbor and to the Terminal quayside is completely free of overhead restrictions.
Low Existing Vessel Traffic – There are no significant waits for port access due to existing vessel
traffic, which allows quicker turn-around and production efficiency.
Proximity to Offshore Wind Energy Areas
– The Terminal is positioned nearby the nine
federal offshore wind energy areas along the Atlantic Coast.
Extended Working Hours in the Designated Port Area (DPA) – Work occurs in the DPA
at all time of the day and night. There are no limits on the hours of work allowed within the DPA.
Ship to Shore Power – To minimize the environmental impact of berthing ships, the Terminal has
been outfitted with ship to shore power outlets in two locations along the bulkhead. The ship to shore
power connections will allow for cold ironing of the ships while they are in port.
Waste Water Disposal – Because waters surrounding New Bedford and the approaches to New
Bedford Harbor are designated as a No Discharge Zone, the Terminal has been outfitted with a sewage
connection for waste water to be disposed of at the municipal treatment system.
Fire Protection and Potable Water – The Terminal has the ability to provide fresh water to
vessels berthed onsite. Additionally, fire connections are available at multiple locations along the
perimeter and berthing area of the facility.
Expandable Electrical System – The expandable electrical system allows users to tailor the site to
their needs for assembly of turbine components prior to deployment.
Site Lighting – In order to accommodate around-the clock activities, the Terminal is outfitted with high
mast lighting that has the ability to provide work-level lighting, as well as security-level lighting.
Construction of New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, July 2014. Photo: Apex Companies, LLC
Offshore Wind Deployment Terminal in Grenaa, Denmark, April 2013. Photo: MassCEC
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Bill White, Senior Director
rd
Offshore Wind Sector Development 63 Franklin Street, 3 Floor
newbedfordterminal@masscec.com Boston, MA 02110
P (617) 315-9355 • F (617) 315-9656
info@masscec.com • www.masscec.com
Terminal Site Address
16 Blackmer Street
New Bedford, MA 02740