Well positioned to become a leader in the offshore wind industry, the State of Maine explored opportunity at the Port of Searsport.
The Maine Department of Transportation contracted Moffatt & Nichol to evaluate the feasibility of using the existing Mack Point Terminal at Searsport to service the offshore wind industry. The evaluation considered multiple terminal sites for either wind turbine generator marshalling or fabrication, for both fixed and floating foundation offshore wind turbines. The study goal was to identify the best use for this port in servicing the wind generation industry and to come up with estimated cost of repurposing the marine terminal to service largescale offshore wind farms. Moffatt & Nichol then prepared infrastructure assessments that included conceptual layouts, preliminary concept designs, construction schedules, and opinions of probable cost. In addition, an economic analysis was conducted for selected sites using a model that incorporated potential revenue streams, terminal activity (staging or fabrication), and the required capital expenditure to generate a return on investment. Moffatt & Nichol executed this model for each site included in the study. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (with no changes made).
