C

Publish and Present

519579 - US West Coast Port Infrastructure Needs for Development of Floating Offshore Wind Facilities

Primary & Presenting Author(s)

• 

  Aaron Porter, P.E.

  Senior Coastal Engineer
  Mott MacDonald, Washington

Additional Author(s)

• 

  Shane Phillips, P.E., D.P.E., D.CE

  Vice President - Principal Coastal Engineer
  Mott MacDonald
  Edmonds, Washington

As the offshore wind industry continues to develop and grow, the capabilities of established port facilities on the Pacific West Coast of the United States (U.S.) and the Hawaiian Islands need to be assessed as to their ability to support offshore wind farms. The Pacific Coast is more suitable to floating wind technology rather than platforms affixed to the seafloor, such as those found on the U.S. East Coast and Europe. Ports and harbors on the U.S. West Coast are typically not optimized to support offshore construction. Assembly and long-term maintenance are likely best suited for ports with a deep, sheltered harbor, no air draft restriction, significant upland area, and high-capacity wharves. The combination of these requirements may necessitate a network of ports be utilized rather than a single port.