NEW LONDON, Connecticut – Editor’s Note: The above video was posted in 2018

The Connecticut Port Authority has been granted permission to begin dredging the State Pier in New London, which they say will eventually make the site a hub for the construction of offshore wind farms, producing electricity.

The Department of the Army through the United States Army District of New England Engineers on Thursday issued a permit to the authority to begin work in the water. The state had already issued a permit in August.

The action will dredge deeper berths at State Pier and Northeast Quay, rebuilding part of the State Pier into a heavy lift platform to support cargo and training more of seven acres of upland area to increase the amount and types of cargo that can be handled at the facility.

“By implementing the full scope of the planned project, enabled by this permit, the Authority is creating the physical foundation for the offshore wind industry in Southeast Connecticut and for a greater volume of diversified freight movements to through this public facility for generations to come, ”officials said.

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Ørsted and Eversource said in a statement, “We appreciate the US Army Corps of Engineers’ extensive review of the Connecticut Port Authority permit application and congratulate the CPA on this important milestone. With the receipt of permits from the ‘Army Corps, State Pier cleared the last remaining major regulatory hurdle, and construction of the full scope of the project can now proceed. “

RELATED: Governor Lamont Announces Development Plan to Make New London a Hub for the Offshore Wind Industry

The companies said the improvements will bring well-paying jobs and economic investment to New London while positioning Connecticut as a regional hub for offshore wind for decades to come.

RELATED: The Real Story: Wind Farms

Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be contacted at [email protected].

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