NEW LONDON, Conn. (WTNH) Improvements to the state pier in New London are going forward. Governor Ned Lamont says the project will bring more jobs and a world-class offshore wind center.

Governor Lamont announced Tuesday the state and its partners at Gateway Terminal, Orsted and Eversource, have reached a final agreement on a harbor development plan for the state pier in New London through a combined public-private investment of $157 million.

We got to think about a renewable carbon free future and wind power is our future, said Governor Ned Lamont.

Connecticut can be the Saudi Arabia of wind power, offshore wind generating power in a cost, very economical with everything else, at a price thats coming down dramatically.

This pier allows us to greatly accelerate maritime traffic in and out, interconnecting the rail service coming in.

The governor said the project will expand the use of carbon-free energy sources.

Danish-based company, Orsted, has built offshore wind centers around the globe.

Thomas Brostrom, the CEO of Orsted, told News 8, It basically takes a lot of fossil fuels away and replaces fossil fuels. It is as clean as you get. It basically harvests the strong winds that you see at sea and you bring them to shore.

The project will create hundreds of permanent jobs and is planned to become a transportation hub for companies. The first phase of the project will be infrastructure upgrades.

There will be a lot of transportation. A lot of the vessels will be coming out of there, supplies coming out of there so we see a lot of other needs.

Whether it is catering transportation needs, we are going to do some dredging there and of course port enhancements for a vessel that will be 500 feet long, 150 wide.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2021 and be completed by August 2022.

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State pier project to bring more jobs, offshore wind center to New London - WTNH.com