Crowley Moves to Secure Port Fourchon Site for Offshore Wind Terminal

Florida-based Crowley is taken a key step toward potentially developing an offshore wind terminal at Louisiana’s Port Fourchon, a key hub for the Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and gas industry.

During today’s Greater Lafourche Port Commission (GLPC) Board Meeting in Cut Off, Louisiana., Crowley reached a Right of First Refusal agreement to potentially lease and develop a more than 40-acre site. Located on Port Fourchon’s Slip C, the site includes over 2,200 linear feet of prime waterfront access adjacent to the Flotation Canal.

“We are thrilled to take the next step to welcome Crowley to Port Fourchon and our amazing slate of tenants and users,” GLPC Executive Director Chett Chiasson said. “Crowley’s forward-thinking vision aligns perfectly with our goals at the GLPC to further our role as a leading service supply port for all forms of energy, including wind.”

Crowley would bring more than 130 years of experience in ports, maritime and engineering to the project. Through its Crowley Wind Services division, the company has begun development and planning for wind services terminals in Massachusetts and California.

“We look forward to working with the Port Commission to consider the next steps in serving the wind energy needs and goals of Port Fourchon and its communities,” said Bob Karl, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Wind Services. “The port is strategically located to serve as a hub for the supply chain and transportation required to create clean, renewable wind energy. We are committed to a process that is collaborative to create a sustainable energy solution.”

Expanding the nation’s offshore wind capacity is a key component of the Biden Administration’s strategy for combatting climate change and transitioning the U.S. to renewable energy. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in October designated two areas in the Gulf of Mexico for the development of offshore wind projects, including one located approximately 56 nautical miles off the coast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, a couple hundred miles west of Port Fourchon. A second larger area is located approximately 24 nm off the coast of Galveston, Texas. Combined the Wind Energy Areas (WEA) comprise nearly 700,000 acres with potential to power nearly 3 million homes.

Designating the Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) is one of the key steps toward holding the first offshore wind lease sale in the region, which is anticipated by 2026.

In California, Crowley has reached an agreement with Port of Humboldt Bay to exclusively negotiate to develop and operate an offshore wind terminal in Northern California in the town of Samoa in Humboldt County.

Crowley is also well on its way to developing an offshore wind terminal in Salem, Massachusetts, having recently completed the purchase of the 42-acre site for the terminal.

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