Port Of Providence News

As reported in a Maritime Reporter and Engineering News February 2022 article, Offshore Wind Development Gains Speed in the United States, the offshore wind (OSW) market is beginning to heat up. The White House policy target of 30 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, increasing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM’s) leasing awards, and permitting target approval dates, together with more state energy procurement awards, are creating demand for more port infrastructure, Jones Act compliant vessels, and manufacturing facilities for wind farm components.

It's no longer news that the U.S. is set to become the next big offshore wind market, with an IEA 2019 report forecasting 40 GW of installed offshore wind capacity in the country by 2040, which will require a $100 billion investment.To meet this expected growth, both in the fixed-bottom wind farms and the floating wind farms, the U.S. market will require a large amount of wind farm support vessels of various types, with the current fixed-bottom wind turbine installation fleet non-existent, and the foreign-flagged vessels not an option, for the most part.

Inland Dredging Company helps keep commerce flowing on America’s inland waterway system.Dyersburg, Tenn. based Inland Dredging Company completed dredging projects spanning eight states and across four U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Districts. Beginning in July and finishing in December (2019), Inland Dredging crews dredged ports and harbors along the Mighty Mississippi River, Ouachita River, Red River, Black Warrior River, Atchafalaya River, Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway, and the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway from Apalachicola to Morgan City.Richard Jackson…

As the domestic offshore wind industry comes to life, U.S. flag vessels will necessarily be part of that expanding equation.A potential sea change came with the recent announcement from Aeolus Energy Partners that the renewable installation and operation company was investing in a fleet of Jones Act-compliant vessels dedicated to the offshore wind industry. Long a barrier to entry for foreign and domestic prospectors alike, the Jones Act, a portion of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920…

Marine News contributor Robert Kunkel asks: Are we ready to support the farms? On August 19, 2016, we watched as the fifth tower and associated nacelle was raised on the Deepwater Offshore Wind Farm approximately 3 miles offshore of Block Island, Rhode Island. This is the first Offshore Wind farm erected in the United States and, without a doubt, a huge step forward for this controversial project and alternative energy supply. The Block Island Wind Farm has a total generating capacity of 30 megawatts and is projected to produce approximately 125,000 megawatt hours annually.

When I visit Rhode Island, one of the first things I notice its extensive water resources available for tourism, sports and commerce not to mention the ability to move people from one place to another. Next, I think about the dynamic men and women working on and near the water in the maritime industries and businesses including ship construction and repair that support the State’s long-term economic prosperity. Boasting over 400 miles of coastline, it’s easy to see why maritime is a central part of the “Ocean State’s” heritage as well as the key to its economic future.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenichen today joined Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo and Senator Jack Reed, along with state and local officials, to christen a new crane barge, marking the completion of a nearly $20 million project that substantially enhances cargo handling capabilities at the Port of Providence. Funded, in part, by a $10.5 million Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant in 2010, the crane barge, along with two high performance cranes that were delivered in 2013, have transformed the port into a modern marine cargo center. “This project is…

ProvPort, operator of the Port of Providence – one of the busiest ports in America’s northeast – has expanded capabilities including the addition and operation of two Liebherr 550 Mobile harbor cranes. The cranes arrived in June and began operation immediately after being certified. “The new Liebherr 550’s replace two 30 plus year-old cranes. The lift capacity, the efficiency and the speed in which we can load exports and unload imports puts ProvPort in a leadership position,” said Chris Waterson, General Manager of Waterson Terminal Services, ProvPort’s Management Company.

One of the most important components of a healthy economy is modern port infrastructure to feed our maritime transportation system. By investing in waterways, jobs are created, economic competitiveness is improved and prosperity is built for the long term. At the Rhode Island Ports Showcase in Providence, Acting Maritime Administrator, Paul "Chip" Jaenichen spoke about DOT’s commitment to making such investments. At the Port of Providence alone, port-related employment has grown from 800 jobs 15 years ago to 2,400 jobs today.

(The Rhode Island Subsea Sector is profiled in the March 2013 edition of Marine Technology Reporter. Rhode Island Governor Lincoln D. Chafee offers insights on the wealth of opportunity found in his state). As the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, Rhode Island was at the forefront of innovation, entrepreneurial creativity, and economic transformation, beginning with the Slater Mill in 1793. Just as Rhode Island led our nation through the introduction of new manufacturing processes two hundred years ago…

Smiths Detection announced the award of a contract for its FirstView early warning chemical threat detection and video management system to be installed at the Port of Providence, R.I. Funded through a competitive Department of Homeland Security grant, the system will alert authorities to chemical hazards in the port area and provide real-time video and sensor data to first responders and emergency personnel. It combines Smiths Detection’s chemical detection capabilities (Centurion II) and FirstView video and sensor management software with Raytheon’s Athena command and control system to monitor traffic in Narragansett Bay. Using radar…