Crowley Maritime Corporation, which is angling to become the offshore wind port operator in Salem, on Thursday opened its Rhode Island office at CIC Providence in the city's Innovation and Design District.
Crowley was in the news last week when Vineyard Wind said it would use the 42-acre Salem Harbor Station site for turbine assembly and staging activities for its Commonwealth Wind proposal, if it is chosen this year by a group of utility executives working with some state assistance.
Under the proposed agreement, Crowley Maritime would buy land surrounding the Salem station and serve as the long-term offshore wind port operator for the site. Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the groups behind the Vineyard Wind joint venture, would serve as anchor tenants and would use "the property for the Commonwealth Wind project as well as other projects in the company's portfolio."
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee was among those who celebrated the opening Thursday of an office for the company's new energy division. The company said its office on East Dyer Street demonstrates its "commitment to providing innovative logistics solutions, new emerging energy sources, and the development of public-private partnerships to expand its services in the offshore wind industry."
"I am proud to welcome Crowley to Rhode Island as the latest key contributor to our state's thriving innovation economy," McKee said. "Crowley's diverse expertise in the offshore wind sector and marine industry at large will be an invaluable asset as Rhode Island continues to lead the nation toward a clean, renewable energy future. We wish the Crowley team nothing but success."
A maritime, energy and logistics solutions company, Crowley Maritime Corporation has more than $2.5 billion in annual revenues, over 160 vessels, and about 6,300 employees around the world. Crowley also has partnered with Danish shipping company ESVAGT to increase vessel availability and describes itself as "the largest employer of U.S. mariners."
Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor said Crowley will join a dozen other offshore wind-related companies in its I-195 innovation and design district, and would help "strengthen Rhode Island's position at the center of America's Blue Economy."
