Plans for one of the nation’s most ambitious alternative energy – and marine construction – projects were released in the last two months.
The “Pier Wind” project of the Port of Long Beach, California would build a floating wind turbine facility just outside of the busiest port complex in the nation, the adjacent ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
“The proposed Floating Offshore Wind Staging and Integration facility – known as Pier Wind – would allow for the assembly of the world’s largest offshore wind turbines standing as tall as the Eiffel Tower,” the Port said in a press release. “The fully completed generators and accompanying floating foundations would be towed by sea from the Port of Long Beach to wind lease areas in Central and Northern California that will generate reliable and renewable power for the West Coast.” Pier Wind would be the largest facility specifically designed to accommodate assembly of offshore wind turbines at any U.S. seaport. The project would involve creating up to 400 acres of new land for a terminal capable of handling heavy-lift crane operations to stage, store and construct the world’s largest floating offshore wind turbines.
Background
The Port of Long Beach invested $1 million to develop a conceptual design and conductibility assessment for the proposed Pier Wind project. The assessment was released in May, and included conceptual designs, cost estimates and project delivery schedules.
The project is intended to help California meet a goal of producing 25 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2045 and lower the national cost of offshore wind power by 70 percent by 2035.
The project also will also “enhance its workforce development programs by including offshore wind and climate resilience technology to help achieve a statewide goal of creating 500,000 apprenticeships by 2029,” the Port says.
Features
The Port of Long Beach says that it’s an ideal location for a floating offshore wind facility due to these attributes:
- Adjacent to a deep and wide federal navigation channel that provides direct access to the open ocean with no height restrictions;
- At the center of the nation’s supply chain with connections to robust water, rail and roadway networks and a well-trained marine workforce;
- Access to the state’s largest manufacturing base and construction workforce with the capability to quickly retool and meet the demands of the growing renewable energy industry;
- Surrounded by numerous industries in a region with a high demand for land, the facility would prove to be economically viable for long-term use; and
- Within an existing dedicated port area in alignment with California’s Tidelands Trust and the California Coastal Act.
Site Description and Location
Pier Wind is located within the Port of Long Beach in the Outer Harbor, just south of the Navy Mole, as shown in Figure 1.
The western edge of the project is on the border that separates the Port of Long Beach from the Port of Los Angeles. Pier Wind is strategically located off the main channel and near Queen’s Gate, the entrance to the port. In addition, the project site is south (outside) of the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, resulting in no height limitations or air draft restrictions for offshore wind industry use. This is critical since the offshore wind turbines can be up to 1,100 feet tall.
The Approach Channel through Queen’s Gate is currently authorized to -76 feet mean lower low water (MLLW) by 1,200 feet wide. The Main Channel is also currently authorized to -76 feet MLLW. The width of the Main Channel ranges from 400 feet at the Navy Mole/Pier F Channel to 1,400 feet at the Pier T Turning Basin. The Outer Harbor has existing water depths ranging from -40 to -70 feet MLLW.
The Port of Long Beach is currently planning for the Deep Draft Navigation Project with the Final Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) being published October 2021. This project would include the following improvements as shown in Figure 2:
- Deepen the entrance to the Main Channel from a project depth of -76 feet to -80 feet MLLW;
- Widen portions of the Main Channel to a depth of -76 feet MLLW;
- Construct an approach channel and turning basin to Pier J South from -50 feet MLLW to a depth of -55 feet MLLW;
- Deepen portions of the West Basin and West Basin Approach from -50 feet to a depth of -55 feet MLLW;
- Deepen the Pier J Basin and berths J266-J270 within the Pier J South Slip to a depth of -55 feet MLLW;
- Perform structural improvements on Pier J breakwaters at the entrance of the Pier J Slip to accommodate deepening of the Pier J Slip and Approach Channel to -55 feet MLLW;
- Place dredged material either at a nearshore placement site, an ocean-dredged material disposal site or a combination of the two; and
- Construct a new dredge electric substation.
Next Steps
During the conceptual phase of the project, the following tasks were completed:
- Determined scope and cost of necessary improvements through conceptual engineering;
- Developed an overall project schedule and project cost;
- Evaluated options to deliver the terminal on an accelerated schedule while considering environmental and sustainable approaches;
- Identified project phasing options for early industry use and to balance funding and fill availability; and
- Developed a recommended path forward for the next steps of the project. The Pier Wind project is likely to have positive impacts on southern California that can’t be foreseen at this time.
“Building Pier Wind lays the foundation for a zero-carbon energy future, not only for the public but for our operations as well,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Sharon Weissman said. “Offshore wind is essential to the Port of Long Beach’s own goals to transition to zero emissions, and ensuring there is a ready supply of reliable, resilient and renewable power is vital for the work we do moving commerce.”
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine Issue III, 2023.
