The Port of Bellingham has secured a $2.8 million state grant to electrify operations at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal, the port announced Sept. 3.
Bellingham was among 11 Washington seaports to obtain funding from the state’s $26.5 port electrification grant program.
The project, which the port plans to complete by 2026, would allow vessels docked at the terminal to plug in with shore power. It also builds on a number of modernization projects already in progress, which include fortifying the main dock and deepening the navigation depth to attract a larger range of cargo vessels.
The port previously netted a $17.9 million federal grant to relink rail to the terminal, allowing for cargo to move on more than 32,500 miles of track in 28 states and the Canadian provinces, according to the port.
“Electrification will help the Bellingham Shipping Terminal serve as a clean energy home base for sustainable shipping companies and escort tugs serving local barges and vessels,” the port said, including those on the M-5 Coastal Connector Barge Project, a U.S. Department of Transportation-designated American Marine Highway short sea shipping green corridor to Coos Bay, Ore. and San Diego.
In other news, the port on Sept. 20 announced that it had signed a 50-year lease agreement with one of its longtime tenants, refrigerated warehousing company Bellingham Cold Storage.
This agreement solidifies BCS’s long-term presence on the Bellingham waterfront, the port said in a statement.
BCS’s operations are essential to the local food supply chain, according to Bellingham officials, as the company handles millions of pounds of food products each year including seafood, vegetables, fruits, and meats that are distributed to feed the local community, as well as North America and globally.
“BCS has been the foundation of Whatcom County’s working waterfront for over 100 years,” port Executive Director Rob Fix said. “Their contributions to our economy and our community have been immeasurable, and this 50-year lease extension ensures BCS will be a mainstay in our community for years to come.”
Financial terms of the deal were not revealed, but BCS has made a $30 million commitment to modernize its port facilities within the first 20 years of the contract, according to the port.
Bellingham Cold Storage has been a port tenant since 1946.