Huisman is to deliver a 2200-tonne leg encircling crane for the US’s first Jones Act compliant installation vessel.
The company will deliver the crane for Dominion Energy’s wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Charybdis under the agreement with Keppel AmFELS, which is building the boat.
The Jones Act only allows for vessels built in the US and crewed by its citizens to use ports in the country.
This has led to foreign-flagged vessels using Canadian ports and having components and crew delivered by Jones Act compliant feeder vessels.
With a 2200-tonne lifting capacity, a lightweight design, 130-metre long boom, the crane can be used for the installation of next generation offshore wind turbines and foundations.
With several gigawatts of offshore wind capacity to be installed along the East Coast in the next decade, access to Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessels is of strategic importance to the American offshore wind market.
For this project, Huisman will implement the same technology used for the LEC for Seajacks’ offshore wind installation vessel Scylla.
The crane is scheduled for delivery in 2023, with Huisman North America, based in Rosenberg (Texas), planning to commission and test it at the Keppel AmFELS yard in Brownsville (Texas).
Dominion Energy senior vice president for project constrution Mark Mitchell said: “A Jones Act compliant offshore wind installation vessel is vital for the continued growth of the US offshore wind industry.
Huisman is a global leader and brings years of experience to this venture and will further enable the offshore wind industry to bring clean, renewable energy to customers in the US.”
Huisman chief executive David Roodenburg added: “We are grateful for the trust Dominion Energy has shown in Huisman and are proud to be part of a driving force in energy transition in the US.
“We look forward to cooperating with Dominion Energy, Keppel AmFELS and Seajacks to deliver this state-of-the-art crane, using our extensive experience in designing and building large capacity cranes for the offshore wind market.
“We are aware of the challenges involved in making such an investment during Covid-19 times without there being an opportunity for personal interaction during finalisation of the contractual agreement and start-up of the project itself, which is why we appreciate Dominion’s confidence even more.”