Crowley wants to build offshore wind installation hub at Humboldt Bay port

US maritime, energy and logistics company Crowley has earned exclusivity to negotiate its role as the developer and operator of a terminal at the Port of Humboldt Bay with a plan to make it California’s first offshore wind installation hub.

Crowley said in a statement on Thursday that it wants this site to support tenants in the manufacturing, installation and operation of offshore wind floating platforms, allow them to use large heavy cargo vessels and provide crewing and marshaling services.

The port has a conceptual master plan for the site and expects to complete permitting and design in mid-2024. Its deal with Crowley concerns a 98-acre area as part of Phase I, with options to expand on adjoining land in additional phases.

“Within the next few years, this project will generate high-skill manufacturing and technical jobs, investments, and clean energy that will extend for generations into the future. And this project is just the beginning for Humboldt Bay, with the potential for additional complementary projects on other underutilized sites throughout the Bay,” commented Harbor District board president Greg Dale.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is getting ready to launch an offshore wind lease auction for five areas off California’s coast on December 6. The competitive solicitation is expected to enable the deployment of 4.5 GW of floating wind capacity on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), including an estimated 1.6 GW in the waters of Humboldt Bay.

In the meantime, Crowley is conducting design and engineering work in Salem, Massachusetts, for another terminal that will support offshore wind projects in New England.

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