The Port of Seattle has sent a Revised Request for Proposal (RFP) to short-listed entities being evaluated as potential investment and operating partners for the proposed new cruise facility – Terminal 46.
Included in the revised RFP is a clause requiring cruise vessels to be equipped with shore power and be connected while berthed. In addition to shore power, the Port also included practices to require cargo handling equipment to have zero tail-pipe emissions, further participate in regional air quality planning, protect water quality by prohibiting discharges, and build sustainably.
The Port said that it could announce a partner for the terminal by the second quarter of 2020.
“A key element of the Port’s clean air and climate change strategy is to ultimately have all vessels utilising shore power at berth,” said Stephanie Jones Stebbins, Port of Seattle’s Managing Director of the Maritime Division. “The Port intends to require 100% of homeport cruise vessel calls at the new terminal to be shore-power capable and plug-in starting the first year of operation. We are striving to be the cleanest and greenest homeport in the nation.”
Cruise vessels have been using shore power at Seattle since 2005.
Also released was the Scoping Summary, which outlines the process and comments received during the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) scoping period for the Cruise Terminal Development Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The scoping period, which included multiple public meetings and an online open house, occurred from 23rd October through 27th November, 2019.
This process included a two-week comment extension past the typical 30-day window to ensure the public and other interested parties had adequate time to comment. The document will help the Port establish the areas of investigation that will be included in the EIS. It contains a detailed discussion of the EIS scoping process, a summary of the comments received during the scoping comment period, and copies of all correspondence received.
The next key milestones for the project are as follows:
• Potential announcement of a new investment and operating partner in 2Q20.
• Draft EIS publication, public comment period, public meetings and online open house in 2/3Q20.
• Final EIS publication in 3/4Q20.
• Commission consideration of lease in the same period.
• New facility targeted to open, if approved, in 2023.
