Port of Davisville Counting on Offshore Wind, Upgrading Pier 2

Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) has started working on modernising and rehabilitating Pier 2 at the Port of Davisville in Rhode Island, after receiving an approval for a USD 50 million general obligation bond for the redevelopment of the pier in November 2016.

This month, QDC issued a request for proposals (RFP), seeking a qualified geotechnical engineering company to develop and implement a Geotechnical Investigation Program for the design of the Infrastructure Improvement Program for the pier.

“The increase in offshore wind projects, opportunities in short-sea shipping, robust auto imports, and potential auto export business are all on the horizon,” QDC’s Managing Director Steven J. King said in November 2016. “This project will ensure that Quonset’s Davisville stays competitive with other ports in the region while preserving hundreds of jobs in the maritime sector.”

Pier 2, the ‘work horse’ of Davisville, is the only viable option at Quonset for wind and project cargo, according to QDC’s presentation from June 2016.

One of the projects the company eyes is Deepwater ONE, and rehabilitated Pier 2 would accommodate handling of offshore wind components, which require a wharf that can bear the weight while providing additional space for other customers and capabilities.

The large-scale Deepwater ONE project would require all available space in Davisville, Galilee, Port of Providence and likely New Bedford. Investment in Pier 2 keeps wind energy jobs in Rhode Island, instead of going to other states, the company’s presentation reads.

The total cost of redeveloping Pier 2 is around USD 90 million and will include the creation of a third berth, some dredging, and installing new sheet pile around the entire 16 acre earth filled wharf. Of the total investment, USD 25 million will come from revenue bond repaid entirely by the QDC via port users, USD 50 million from the general obligation bond, and USD 15 million from appropriation from the State’s Capital Plan Fund, according to QDC.

In June 2016, an investment of USD 1.25 million in the Port of Davisville was announced, also with an aim to expand the capacity for additional automobiles, project cargo, and offshore wind components. This was invested into paving and stripping Terminal 5, which covers over 13 acres, to provide more capacity and operational flexibility, particularly on days when two ships are in port. Prior to this, another investment was made into the port to support a project that involved installing new marine hardware to allow the port to more fully utilise Terminals 4 and 5.

Offshore WIND Staff