Plymouth Wind Turbines Hit 1/2 Million Snag

New Bedford Wind Turbine Cargo Ship Fees Hit 1/2 Million

New Bedford, Massachusetts

July 16, 2015

The wind turbine delivery of the four Plymouth wind turbines to New Bedford is turning into a financial fiasco just like the South Terminal. ( New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal)

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center undertook the management of the development of the 113 million dollar Marine Commerce Terminal in New Bedford. The terminal sits incomplete today with no large walking /crawler cranes, no rail link and a narrow 120 foot wide legal clearance at the hurricane gates.Most wind turbine “jack-up” barges world wide are 127 feet or wider.

Now the first turbine delivery turns into another financial fiasco:

On July 6, 2015 New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, civic leaders and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center were on scene at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. They were there to greet the Chinese cargo ship MV Thorco Svendborg literally carrying 4 massive wind turbines to be delivered from New Bedford to Plymouth.

The MV Thorco Svendborg left New Bedford on July 9, 2015 leaving a few small wind turbine parts at the New Bedford South Terminal.

Since July 9, 2015 the MV Thorco Svendborg has remained anchored for over a week about 20 miles South of Providence, Rhode Island. The marine traffic still has it listed with a destination of New Bedford. To date no one has seen the wind turbine blades, gear boxes or the massive 100 ton plus mono poles. Since its first appearance the 400 foot plus cargo ship has spent over ten days in the area.

There is an ongoing mystery over where the large turbine parts are and why the MV Thorco Svendborg remains anchored at the end of Vineyard Sound 20 miles from the Port of Providence, Rhode Island. There is something terribly wrong. An international shipping company doesn’t anchor a 400 foot plus cargo boat for weeks on end for free.

A news media report stated the turbines would be taken from the New Bedford terminal down Rte 6 by a land route to Plymouth. The weight limit on the three bridges from New Bedford to Fairhaven have limits of around 15, 20 and 30 tons. The sections to the turbines are 100 plus tons each.

The wind turbines ultimately being shipped to Plymouth are four massive Gamesa G97 turbines. The turbines are 25 percent larger than the Fairhaven and Falmouth wind turbines and have a rating of 2 megawatts.

Smaller turbines like the 1.5 megawatt Fairhaven and Scituate wind turbines had tower sections weighing at 200,000 pounds or 100 tons each. Those parts were delivered through the Port of Providence, Rhode Island. There was difficulty in Rhode Island and some bridges needed to be studied before they could be used. As we all know Rhode Island and Massachusetts have major problems with highway infrastructure and bridge safety. Keep in mind the plymouth turbines are 25 percent larger.

A bridge study for the Fairhaven- New Bedford drawbridge says the average cargo ship delay equates to around $40,000.00 a day .The MV Thorco Svendborg sits at anchor and has been around for well over ten days.

At $40K/day the meter is running on the delivery ship for the Chinese-made wind turbines destined to be erected in Plymouth. While this may seem like a minor cost to the developers, someone will have to pay the fare, and you guessed it, it will be the tax and rate payers of Massachusetts. The bill is nearing 1/2 million.

The Plymouth wind turbines are 25 percent larger than anything on Cape Cod or SE Mass.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has made major mistakes placing megawatt wind turbines in residential neighborhoods. Falmouth is ground zero for poorly placed wind turbines in the United States

You can bet you bottom dollar the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has a hand in the transportation of the Plymouth wind turbines and the taxpayers again are going to pay for massive mistakes.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/details/ships/shipid:685703/mmsi:477111500/imo:9426570/vessel:THORCO_SVENDBORG

Info Received: (2015-07-16 11:03)Area: Atlantic NorthLatitude / Longitude:41.34469° / -71.26259°Status: At AnchorSpeed/Course: 0.3kn / -AIS Source: 116Itineraries HistoryLatest PositionsNearby Vessels