American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has awarded approval in principle (AIP) to Ned Project for its hydrogen-ready wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) design.
The NP20000X ULAM design is intended to be Jones Act compliant and able to meet future offshore wind market demands, specifically operations involving 15-20MW turbines.
It is designed to load monopiles vertically on the 8000 square metre deck, eliminating the need to rotate the foundations to the vertical position at sea.
The design is equipped with a leg encircling heavy cargo crane with a working load of 3500 tonnes capable of handling turbines of 240 metre rotor diameter and 150 metre tower height.
Ned Project Inc is working with GPZ Energy to develop ULAM WTIV projects for the US market.
“There is significant potential for growth in the U.S. offshore wind market and we are confident our WTIV design has the attributes required to deliver this.
“The scale, power and handling capacity as well as the innovative way it handles the monopiles means this is perfectly adapted to serve the US industry,” said Peter Novinsky, spokesperson for GPZ Energy.
The design is hydrogen-ready with the engine rooms able to be converted into fuel cell compartments accommodating polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, making it possible to rely solely on liquefied hydrogen to meet its energy demands.
Charybdis, the first Jones Act compliant WTIV is now being built to ABS Class, while the first US flagged Jones Act offshore wind farm service operation vessel ever ordered will be built to ABS Class.
These vessels will join the first ABS-classed crew transfer vessel in the US, Windserve Odyssey.
ABS has also issued AIPs for a series of wind support vessels from European designers.