Author : Dennis Culnan

South Jersey Ports will receive a $9 Million grant from the US Department of Transportation for expansion of its barge capacity and intermodal rail connectivity at the Port of Salem.  This Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant supports the port’s existing sand and concrete shipments while strengthening New Jersey’s leadership in building, supporting and manufacturing key components for the offshore wind industry off the Atlantic Coast.  

The project will rehabilitate a 150-linear-foot bulkhead and extend it to approximately 400 linear feet; perform site preparation, improvements, and refurbish a multi-modal rail connection. 

“This is another example of the broad support for the ongoing development of South Jersey’s marine terminals to be the premiere logistical, manufacturing and support center for a job-rich, carbon-free, Green Economy growing along our coast… as well as our general cargo mission,” said Andrew Saporito, Executive Director and CEO of South Jersey Ports.

“We want to thank our Congressional delegation, especially U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Donald Norcross and Congressman Jeff Van Drew for their consistent support for South Jersey Ports. They’ve been working in tandem with Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assemblyman John Burzichelli and Assemblyman Adam Taliaferro to make South Jersey a national leader of this dynamic, new economy while also improving our overall capacity to service our current and future marine cargo customers.”

Salem Marine Terminal – with multi-modal rail connections, close links to interstate highways and bridges, barge and navigation expertise along the Salem River, and its sibling South Jersey marine terminals – provide an integrated port network to support the development of the offshore wind farms.

New Jersey has attracted billions of dollars in investment in its offshore wind industry and has awarded over 3,700 megawatts of offshore wind capacity, which is the most in the country.  South Jersey Ports has already invested $400 million to build the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, which handles one million tons of steel cargo annually. Engineered with heavy-load decks to accommodate the massive weight of offshore energy components, Paulsboro Marine Terminal will soon transport the 5 million pound monopiles which are the foundation components of the offshore wind towers.  For the past few months, EEW Group, a global-leading manufacturer of monopoles, has been building a $250 million state-of-the-art monopole plant at the Port of Paulsboro.

Doubling down, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority is building the New Jersey Wind Port in Lower Alloways Creek Township – 11 miles from the Salem Marine Terminal – to manufacture, assemble, and deploy the huge offshore wind turbines to the Atlantic Ocean.

In January, SJPC was officially notified that our Camden facilities have been added to the Mid-Atlantic Marine Highway by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). The marine highway links the ports of Norfolk, Baltimore, and Philadelphia via a container barge service operated by Columbia Coastal Transport. Over the past year, SJPC has identified import and export business opportunities for the barge service and works with customers and other partners to identify container lines to utilize the service.

“This designation will allow us to expand our service possibilities for both current and new customers,” said Brendan Dugan, Assistant Executive Director/Director of Business Development for South Jersey Port Corporation.

Discussions with MARAD representatives detailed upcoming funding opportunities for Camden and Salem terminals. SJPC, in conjunction with TRIAD Associates, Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant for the Port of Salem. The grants team is currently preparing a FEMA Port Security grant submission for new CCTV camera systems at Camden Terminals. They are also working with TRIAD on potential submissions to MARAD for additional Marine Highway funding and the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) and Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants.

Inclusion in the MARAD marine highway program allows SJPC to apply for grant funding for equipment and infrastructure to accommodate the container barge business. Commercial agreements are still required for importers and exporters to book enough container cargo for Camden.

The federal government finances the marine highway to remove truck traffic from congested U.S. roads and reduce pollution. It is an efficient and cost-effective option for moving cargo.

Governor Phil Murphy’s administration is awarding $6.6 million to the South Jersey Port Corporation to support its ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, operate more efficiently, and be a better neighbor.

It’s all part of the Governor’s $100 million initiative to reverse climate change by turning to clean energy alternatives and to make New Jersey fully powered by clean energy by 2050.

The Governor is funding his initiative by leveraging proceeds from the reentry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and money from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund.

With this $6.6 million investment, SJPC will replace 27 pieces of older gasoline and diesel forklifts and cargo handling equipment with new electric-powered units and associated charging stations. SJPC aims to systematically convert all of its energy-consuming assets to zero-carbon within the next decade as suitable replacement equipment becomes commercially available.

“Our prime mission is the creation of family-sustaining jobs by attracting cargo through international maritime trade,” said SJPC CEO Andrew Saporito. “But as Governor Murphy warns us, there will be no jobs if we destroy our planet and communities in the process. Jobs are inextricably connected to how we protect our environment and shrink our carbon footprint to zero. We strive to make our operations cleaner and greener while also building the green economy on initiatives such as offshore wind development.”

From steps as simple as planting trees in its host cities to updating warehouse lighting to LED to investing millions in improving direct ship to rail access, SJPC has been working aggressively to reduce its carbon footprint. Instead of retrofitting its vehicles – it can afford to convert its fleet from carbon fuels to electric.

SJPC has become the cornerstone of New Jersey’s growing Green Energy Economy. Its unparalleled location combined with available land and warehouse space and an integrated network of highway, rail, and marine facilities provide the needed infrastructure to support offshore wind energy investments along the East Coast. Its Paulsboro Marine Terminal (PMT) has already emerged as the prime manufacturing site for offshore wind turbines.

“Like our mission, this grant received the strong support from our partners in the state Legislature, especially Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez and Assembly members John Burzichelli, Adam Taliaferro, Bill Spearman, and Bill Moen,” said Saporito.

Combined with being at the epicenter of the offshore wind movement in New Jersey, this grant puts SJPC at the forefront of the clean energy movement. The Port is a prime example of how green energy can translate into good-paying union jobs.

Implicit in these new grants is SJPC’s commitment to sustainability and being a better neighbor to its host communities.

“Camden City officials, who supported this grant opportunity for SJPC, have been a great partner in our efforts to grow jobs and reduce our carbon footprint at our Camden facilities,” Saporito added. “As we work to build new jobs, we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating more sustainable port operations, and we appreciate the city’s support of these initiatives.”

The Americanization of the $100 billion offshore wind energy industry is now roaring to life at the South Jersey Port Corporation’s (SJPC) Paulsboro Marine Terminal (PMT), where EEW American Offshore Structures is constructing a state-of-the-art factory to manufacture massive monopile foundations that support huge offshore wind turbines. EEW is the first company to set up a tier-one factory in the United States, with many more offshore wind companies to follow.

For the SJPC, it means jobs and an increase of 250,000 tons of steel cargo flowing annually through PMT. For New Jersey, it means a break away from the pack of states competing for the bounty of jobs and economic development in the green energy economy, with strong support from President Biden and Governor Murphy.

It’s a game-changer in an industry pioneered and developed by Europeans who took the early risks to build and refine a highly reliable and maturing industry whose technologies are now being exported to PMT, giving New Jersey a competitive advantage.

Offshore wind turbines are constructed with monopile foundations that are driven into the ocean floor, the tower that bolts to the monopile, the nacelle that produces the electricity, and the three (3) blades that extend from the nacelle. All of these components are currently manufactured in Europe. Once constructed, EEW will manufacture monopiles at PMT, and more of the offshore wind components and manufacturing are expected to follow.

It’s a critical leap in the Americanization of the supply chain to support the Nation’s offshore wind energy industry and a validation in New Jersey’s heavy investment to fight climate change while also creating family-sustaining jobs in a green energy economy.

New Jersey is going big.

So is President Joseph R. Biden, who has designated New Jersey as the epicenter for the development of 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy farms and is backing it up with $3 billion in federal loan guarantees.

New Jersey has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the industry, and even more investment is planned in the future. In 2005, the SJPC acquired a defunct petrochemical tank farm in Paulsboro, New Jersey, and invested $300 million to turn it into a marine terminal now known as PMT. From the outset, the PMT was engineered with heavy load decks to accommodate the massive weight of offshore energy components.

Doubling down, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority is building a $300 million “Wind Port” in Lower Alloways Township to assemble and deploy the offshore turbines and blades. Turbines and blades are on the New Jersey shopping list.

Monopiles are the indispensable foundation of offshore wind energy farms. They are driven 150 feet into the ocean floor, rise to the surface to support the massive wind towers, turbines, and giant blades that are 850 feet high above the ocean at the highest point.

“Monopiles are massive, and they keep getting bigger as the size of turbines grows, which means we have to keep adapting and making the monopiles larger. We are now targeting diameters of up to 40 feet and lengths of 400 feet long,” said Lee Laurendeau, CEO of EEW American Offshore Structures, the American subsidiary of Germany’s premiere monopile manufacturer EEW Group.

Laurendeau is the New Jersey engineer who built major hi-tech projects worldwide, including the 500,000 square foot Holtec nuclear vessel manufacturing facility at the SJPC’s Broadway Marine Terminal in Camden.

He is building the $250 million clone of EEW’s Rostock, Germany facilities on 80 acres of land at PMT. When it’s complete, he will staff and operate it.

“Our monopiles are five-inch-thick rolled steel cylinders,” he explained. “Comparable in size to the Saturn rocket that sent the astronauts to the moon, a monopile can weigh as much as 5 million pounds each. The final assembly building, currently under construction, is larger than a football field and requires a four-foot-thick solid concrete floor to take the weight.”

Site prep for the 500,000 square foot building complex is well underway. Concrete foundations will be poured this Spring. Construction of the steel frames, roof, and skin is scheduled throughout the Summer—installation of mechanicals throughout next fall. The facility is planned for operations by 2023 to deliver monopiles for Orsted’s 1,100 MW project off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The factory construction will create hundreds of union construction jobs and when in full operation, will employ hundreds of workers from welders to accountants.

Building a monopile is similar to building a ship. Massively powerful machines roll the long slabs of steel into rings. The rings are joined together to make the massive pipe. The portion of the monopile exposed to seawater is sandblasted and given three coats of epoxy paint for protection.

Initially, the rolled steel rings will be imported as the Paulsboro plant ramps to full capabilities. The company will rely on both domestic and foreign steel predicated on quality, price, and availability.

The 2,500-ton monopiles are moved horizontally onto barges by multi-wheeled heavy-lift carriers, barged out to the ocean construction site, and driven 100 to 150 feet into the ocean floor.

While construction of the turbine farms is a summer job, building the monopiles is a year-round job. EEW will manufacture about 100 monopiles a year, store them on open land until deployed in the Summer.

EEW and New Jersey are strategically located to service the entire Atlantic Coast offshore wind industry and expect to be producing monopiles for decades to come.

Want to know more? View the Southern New Jersey Economic Development Council’s roundtable discussion here.

New York Times article discussion here

SJPC’s Camden terminals had their busiest day in recent memory, loading out 235 trucks on March 8. Thank you to our employees and customers in collaborating to make this happen during this unprecedented import surge!

Governor Phil Murphy’s administration is awarding $6.6 million to the South Jersey Port Corporation to support its on-going efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, operate more efficiently and be a better neighbor.

It’s all part of the Governor’s $100 million initiative to reverse the scourge of climate change by turning to clean energy alternatives and by 2050 to make New Jersey fully powered by clean energy.

The Governor is funding his initiative by leveraging proceeds from the state’s re-entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and money from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund.

With this $6.6 million investment, the SJPC will replace 23 pieces of older gasoline and diesel forklifts and cargo handling equipment with new electric-powered units and associated charging stations. SJPC aims to systematically convert all of its energy-consuming assets to zero-carbon within the next decade as suitable replacement equipment becomes commercially available.

“Our prime mission is the creation of family-sustaining jobs by attracting cargo through international maritime trade,” said SJPC CEO Andrew Saporito. “But as Governor Murphy warns us, there will be no jobs if we destroy our planet and communities in the process. Jobs are inextricably connected to how we protect our environment and shrink our carbon footprint to zero. We strive to make our operations cleaner and greener while also building the green economy on initiatives such as off-shore wind development.”

From steps as simple as planting trees in its host cities to beautify the neighborhoods while capturing pollutants and stormwater to switching out warehouse lighting from incandescent fixtures to LED lights and investing millions in improving direct ship to rail access, the South Jersey Port has been working aggressively to reduce its carbon footprint. Instead of retrofitting its vehicles – it now can afford to start converting its fleet from carbon fuels to electric.

The SJPC has become the cornerstone of New Jersey’s growing Green Energy Economy. Its unparalleled location combined with available land and warehouse space and an integrated network of highway, rail, and marine facilities provide the needed infrastructure to support offshore wind energy investments along the East Coast. Paulsboro Marine Terminal has already emerged as the prime manufacturing site for offshore wind turbine farms.

“Like our mission, this grant received the strong support from our partners in the state Legislature especially Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez and Assembly members John Burzichelli, Adam Taliaferro, Bill Spearman, and Bill Moen,” said Saporito.

Combined with being at the epicenter of the offshore wind movement in New Jersey, this grant award puts SJPC at the forefront of the clean energy movement. The Port is a prime example of how green energy can translate into good-paying union jobs.

Implicit in these new grants is SJPC’s commitment to sustainability and being a better neighbor.

“Camden Mayor Frank Moran, who supported this grant opportunity for SJPC, has been a great partner in our efforts to grow jobs and reduce our carbon footprint at our Camden facilities,” Saporito added. “As we work to build new jobs, we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating more sustainable port operations and we appreciate the Mayor’s support of these initiatives and we thank him and his administration”

Officials from the State of New Jersey and South Jersey Port Corporation recently announced the nation’s largest investment to date in industrial offshore wind energy. The state committed to a $250 million investment in EEW manufacturing facilities for Ørsted at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal to develop and support wind-energy turbine farms off the Atlantic coast.

The investment will turn the once defunct petrochemical tank farm at Paulsboro Marine Terminal, a major deep-water port along the Delaware River, into a manufacturing hub for offshore-wind energy while continuing to be a general marine terminal for a host of cargos.

The development of the New Jersey Wind Port in Lower Alloways Township, together with the construction of the new manufacturing facility at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal, is a monumental step forward in solidifying New Jersey as the country’s leader in offshore wind and clean energy procurement.

“Developing New Jersey’s offshore wind capabilities has been a key priority of my administration since taking office in 2018,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “Offshore wind is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that allows us to protect our environment while significantly expanding and securing the state’s economy for the immediate and long term. This is the largest industrial offshore wind investment in the United States to date and will create hundreds of high-paying jobs at a time when New Jersey’s economy has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Coupled with the creation of the New Jersey Wind Port that I announced earlier this year, this investment will continue to cement New Jersey as the leader in offshore wind in the United States.”

“This is an important step forward that will support a new era of economic development and job growth in South Jersey with the ability to produce economic benefits for generations to come,” added New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney who has been on a 20-year mission to turn the Paulsboro tank farm in into a regional economic engine. “Wind energy is our future – it’s clean, it’s safe, and it offers the opportunity for New Jersey to be a dominant leader in creating a new sector to our economy. Bringing offshore-wind manufacturers to New Jersey is key to making the state a hub of the supply chain for wind energy products and services. The new headquarters for EEW will locate a leading manufacturer of monopiles to the Paulsboro Terminal, where it will help make the port a thriving center of commerce. The collaboration between the public and private sectors to get this done is a powerful reminder of what we have to do to create economic opportunities and what we can do to promote offshore wind energy.”

“This is where the dream of protecting our planet, protecting and creating family-sustaining jobs, and building a new industry becomes reality,” said Andy Saporito, CEO and Executive Director of the South Jersey Port Corporation. “It becomes a reality because of the vision and commitment of the State of New Jersey, our Governor, Senate President, legislature, and congressional delegation.”

“EEW is delighted to establish our latest manufacturing operations in New Jersey, as a major step forward for the offshore wind industry, and further establishing EEW as the global leader in monopile foundations,” said Christoph Schorge, CEO EEW-group based out of Erndtebrück Germany. “EEW’s manufacturing technology and years of experience will bring forward a factory capable of producing the world largest foundations required to support the ever-increasing wind turbines of the future”

“The Governor’s announcement of this massive manufacturing facility at the Port of Paulsboro demonstrates New Jersey’s commitment to clean energy and the creation of hundreds of long-term manufacturing jobs,” said Lee Laurendeau, CEO of EEW-American Offshore Structures. “This state-of-the-art factory will be a catalyst for change in Paulsboro and the surrounding area, creating much-needed construction, manufacturing, and supply chain jobs for many decades. Along with the New Jersey Wind Port, the Paulsboro monopile factory will secure New Jersey’s position as the manufacturing epicenter of the emerging Offshore Wind Industry. EEW would like to thank the Governor and Orsted for their commitment and support in enabling this exciting opportunity for South Jersey.”

“This announcement represents a significant milestone for the Ocean Wind project and New Jersey’s offshore wind goals,” said David Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of Ørsted Offshore North America. “New Jersey is poised to be a leader in the American offshore wind industry with key investments in its port infrastructure, like the Port of Paulsboro and the New Jersey Wind Port. As the state looks to rebuild its economy post-COVID-19, Ørsted will be there to partner with the state to create jobs, and opportunities for local suppliers to enter into this new American industry.”

The two-phase investment in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to build steel components, known as monopiles, for offshore wind turbines that will serve the entire United States offshore wind industry. The facility, which will be located at the Paulsboro Marine Terminal in Gloucester County, is the largest industrial offshore wind investment in the United States to date and will create more than 500 high-paying jobs at full build-out. Construction on the facility will break ground in January 2021, with production beginning in 2023.

In June 2020, Governor Murphy announced plans to develop the New Jersey Wind Port in Lower Alloways Township, a first-in-the-nation infrastructure investment that will provide a location for essential staging, assembly, and manufacturing activities related to offshore wind projects on the East Coast.

“This major investment shows that America’s clean energy future is being built right here in South Jersey. The new wind turbine manufacturing site will power our economy by building the clean technology that will power our homes and businesses,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “The need to transition to a clean energy economy is more important than ever before, and I applaud Governor Murphy, Senate President Sweeney, EEW, and Holt for recognizing that and taking action. Critically, this project will generate hundreds of union construction jobs and I look forward to seeing the great work of our local building trades members.”

“This headquarters agreement to support offshore wind projects will lead to the creation of hundreds of high-paying, sustainable jobs which will greatly benefit the region and its residents,” said Assemblyman John Burzichelli. “I applaud Governor Murphy for helping us take a major step in cementing New Jersey as the leader in offshore wind projects along the eastern seaboard. This is a prime example of public investment paying dividends for the residents of our state.”

“Offshore wind presents an amazing opportunity for New Jersey to build a stronger, fairer economy while creating more clean energy and advancing important environmental justice goals. The offshore wind industry is growing rapidly, and thanks to Governor Murphy’s vision, New Jersey is well-positioned to be a hub for the American industry,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “As the first major offshore wind supply chain investment in the northeast, EEW’s manufacturing headquarters in Paulsboro will create new opportunities for New Jersey businesses and attract more offshore wind companies to New Jersey. EEW’s strong track record of apprenticeship programs will also help position New Jersey’s workers for the best opportunities in offshore wind. Along with the New Jersey Wind Port in Lower Alloways Creek, this project will pave the way for long-term, equitable economic growth throughout New Jersey.”

“I have no doubt that through offshore wind we are laying the foundation for a prosperous and equitable future,” said a New Jersey Board of Public Utilities representaive. “Establishing New Jersey as the East Coast hub of this exciting industry is paramount to the Governor’s vision for a clean energy innovation economy that works for all residents. The Board selected Ocean Wind as New Jersey’s first offshore wind project for the economic benefits and supply chain development opportunities, like Paulsboro Marine Terminal, that would bring additional value to the state. I applaud Ørsted and EEW for their commitment to these aims, and look forward to the success of offshore wind in New Jersey.”

“Whether on the road or in the water, strong transportation access is at the heart of economic success,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “The New Jersey Department of Transportation takes pride in being a part of this important port project by providing funding for road infrastructure and dredging operations.”

“The South Jersey Port Corporation welcomes EEW and Ørstedto Paulsboro,” said Andrew Saporito, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, South Jersey Port Corporation. “This new public-private project positions our ports as the epicenter of the rapidly growing Offshore Wind Energy projects, both in New Jersey and along the East Coast. This partnership represents a pivotal next step for the development of the Paulsboro Marine Terminal. It will bring jobs to the region during the construction of the facility and new highly-skilled full-time jobs to staff it upon completion, as well as additional jobs for waterfront labor responsible for handling the associated cargo and completed monopoles.”

“The Governor’s announcement represents a major investment in the future of wind energy in New Jersey,” said Tom Holt Jr., Principal of Paulsboro Waterfront development, the Holt real estate arm that serves as landlord of the Paulsboro Marine Terminal. “But it also creates exciting potential to support hundreds of new jobs in the wind energy logistics business – that is, the creation of new business opportunities to support wind energy in New Jersey. We applaud the Governor’s leadership on wind energy, and we look forward to partnering in the development of a whole new wind logistics support industry in Paulsboro and all along the Delaware River and Atlantic Ocean.”

“I’m proud to be part of this landmark event that will provide long term sustainable jobs for the southern New Jersey economy, while also helping the Governor meet his goals for his Energy Master Plan and providing another milestone project that provides green energy,” said Dan Cosner, IBEW 351 and South Jersey Building Trades.

The South Jersey Port Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of its newest board member William R. Higgins of Monroeville, NJ. The highly decorated retired New Jersey State Police captain served on SJPC’s senior management staff from 2007 to 2012 and returns now as a board member.

“We’re delighted to have Billy on the board,” said board chair Richard A. Alaimo. “He is the first former employee of the SJPC to serve on the board and he brings with him vast institutional knowledge and experience of the daily operations of our terminals. That perspective is valuable as we work to achieve our service goals while facing the unique challenges of these times.”

Governor Phil Murphy appointed Higgins to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Fran Smith. Board members serve 5-year terms and are responsible for adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance for operations of the port, ensuring a sustainable future.

Higgins served in various leadership roles during his 25-year career in law enforcement with the New Jersey State Police including a detail on the New Jersey State Police Executive Protection Unit protecting Governor James J. Florio, commands with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Enforcement and Casino Gaming Enforcement units, and chief of the Intelligence Bureau. He also led a 100-trooper contingent reinforcing Camden Police Department in its fight against gang violence in the community.
Following his retirement from the New Jersey State Police as a captain in 2006, Higgins served five years as a member of the senior management staff of the SJPC, where he became SJPC’s Director of Port Facilities Security, Human Resources, and Safety Officer. Serving with distinction, he learned all aspects of the SJPC’s services, organizational objectives, rank and file concerns, as well as the management structure.

In 2012 he returned to law enforcement as Deputy Chief of County Detectives for the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office. He retired again in 2014 to become the President & CEO of RSP Command Inc, a security firm based in Atlantic City.

“I’m looking forward to returning to SJPC and serving on the board. Building on the success of the port and maintaining growth is critical to our regional economy and I am committed to that mission,” said Higgins. The port has grown in recent years from handling 2 million tons of cargo annually to 4 million. With the opening of the Port of Paulsboro and the development of wind energy, SJPC is poised to continue that growth in the coming years.

Higgins resides in Monroeville with his wife Beth and they are proud parents of five grown sons and have three grandchildren.