An as yet unnamed company wants to invest £500,000 in the development on the harbour.
Image Line Communications Ltd, who are acting on behalf of the developers, told the Whitby Gazette that talks are under way with Scarborough Borough Council about the proposal.
It is likely to involve the cargo shed, which the council put out to tender earlier this year.
A spokeswoman for Image Line said: "Talks are underway with Scarborough Council to lease the port of Whitby to a private company.
"The company proposes to use Whitby as a major hub to support the development and servicing of offshore wind farms and other offshore platforms and supply bases in the North Sea.
"The group has interests in the petrochemical, shipping and logistics arena and believes itself to be highly qualified to take the port forward.
"Goods will be delivered primarily by rail but also by sea and Whitby Harbour will be nominated as the base for operations going forward.
"Leisure activities will be unaffected by the development and will have little negative impact on the visual and environmental setting of the port."
Ian Anderson, Scarborough Borough Council's head of legal and support services, said: "At present no firm proposals have been received by the council and no talks are yet under way.
"The council has, however, requested detail of what is being proposed so that it can be considered by the harbours member and officer working group which is presently reviewing the governance arrangements for Whitby and Scarborough harbours.
"Clearly that group will need to consider the procurement and other implications of what may be proposed before formulating any recommendations."
The Image Line spokeswoman said meetings are being planned by the local authority and the company.
She claimed councillors within the council are apparently supporting the proposal.
The spokeswoman said the scheme would 'create 30-40 jobs in the direct locality' and would involve an investment of around £500,000 over the next two years.