The second-largest crane ship on the planet steamed into Newport Harbor Monday afternoon — and its arrival has environmentalists and fishermen sounding the alarm.
The SSCV Thialf, a towering 661.5-foot vessel with a beam of 290 feet and a jaw-dropping height of 472 feet, is now docked in Narragansett Bay on its way to begin work on the Empire Wind foundation installation.
Its presence signals the next phase in the Empire Wind development, a major offshore wind project. While the turbines will be installed off the coast of New York, construction activity and staging operations are now underway near Rhode Island’s coast.
Environmental groups and local fishermen have raised concerns in recent months about the project’s potential impact on marine ecosystems, including risks to migratory species, commercial fisheries, and underwater habitats.
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