Cape Breton has reopened negotiations to transform a 1.74-square-kilometre waterfront property into an offshore-wind marshalling and industrial port.

Regional council voted 7-6 to resume non-exclusive talks with Sydney Harbour Investment Partners, with Mayor Cecil Clarke casting the deciding vote. Non-exclusive talks allow the municipality to negotiate with the company while also considering other developers.

Located off Point Edward Highway beside Sydport Industrial Park in Edwardsville, N.S., the municipal property offers industrial land on an ice-free harbour with a channel dredged to 16.5 metres.

The municipality acquired the site for $6 million after it was created with material dredged from the harbour in 2012. Sydney Harbour Investment Partners secured exclusive development rights in 2015 and initially proposed a container terminal under the Novaporte name.

That plan stalled partly because the inactive rail line between Sydney and Port Hawkesbury requires substantial upgrades. The developer later proposed using the property to assemble, store and ship offshore-wind turbine components, with Blue Water Shipping identified as the terminal operator.

Plans contemplate an initial 80-hectare facility with a minimum 350-metre quay wall, heavy-load capacity and space for logistics and manufacturing. A comparable project is converting a former power plant in Salem, Mass., into an offshore-wind marshalling port.

Coun. Steve Parsons said timing is critical because Nova Scotia expects to seek proposals for offshore-wind development rights in November. “That’s about 90 days away,” he said.

The municipality is also working with infrastructure adviser Moffatt & Nichol on a broader process for the port property.

Caption: A municipal map outlines Sydport Industrial Park in Edwardsville, N.S., beside the waterfront area targeted for industrial-port development.

Credit: Cape Breton Regional Municipality