The Albany Port District Commission (APDC) embarked on a mission to generate economic development for the region and to accommodate future growth by providing additional port infrastructure and manufacturing space earmarked for the offshore wind industry supply chain. This mission was undertaken to assist NY State in achieving its renewable energy goal of providing 9,000 Mega Watts of Offshore Wind Power by 2035. McFarland Johnson (MJ) assisted APDC by providing due diligence studies on an 81.6-acre site that would be used to expand port infrastructure, accommodate manufacturing space, and add additional cargo and wharf capacity. Upon purchasing the property, MJ assisted in marketing the property to prospective users, including an International Contingency involving companies from Canada, Denmark and Norway.
MJ led the Team of consultants including architects, wharf designers, air and noise specialists and surveyors to help transform this undeveloped marginally contaminated industrially zoned property into an active, marine-based import and export port terminal with specialized infrastructure capable of supporting a new manufacturing plant that will produce tower components for the offshore wind (OSW) industry. MJ is providing M/E/P design for the proposed 626,000 s.f. manufacturing plant, as well as engineering design for the associated civil infrastructure, and a new bridge over a tributary to the Hudson River.
The manufacturing facility is being "designed for the future" taking into consideration the size, weight, and configuration of the future Tower sections. The equipment being installed in this facility will be state of art – the most technically advanced in the industry.
The bridge is the first of its kind in the world, designed to carry the massive 500 metric ton tower sections fabricated at this facility. Designing for these superloads required the use of specialty design software, combined with the development of unique project specific design calculations, to ensure this bridge meets all required AASHTO and NYSDOT code requirements and has a minimum 75-year design life.
The project had an extremely tight schedule, and our team completed the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement approval process in 6 Months. This required coordination with 12 Local, State and Federal agencies.
As the first OSW tower manufacturing facility in the U.S., the facility is forecasted to create upwards of 500 construction jobs and 550 full-time new jobs, providing economic vitality to the region. The project will also reduce U.S. reliance on imported OSW components and help reduce the US carbon footprint.