Orsted and Eversource have executed a charter agreement with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) for the provision of the first US Jones Act-compliant offshore wind service operation vessel (SOV).
ECO will engineer, construct and operate the SOV, providing operations and maintenance services at the Revolution Wind, South Fork Wind and Sunrise Wind offshore wind farms off the US north-east coast
The SOV will serve as an at-sea base of operations to accommodate and transfer technicians, tools and parts safely to and from the individual wind turbines.
This vessel is a special-purpose design with a focus on passenger comfort and safety, enhanced manoeuvrability and ship motions, extended offshore endurance and reduced emissions, ECO said.
The vessel will be built at Edison Chouest’s shipyards in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, creating over 300 new construction jobs.
ECO said the construction of the vessel will also have a broader economic impact on other US states hosting suppliers of major components with some notable beneficiaries being North Carolina and Illinois for steel and main engines, respectively.
ECO president Gary Chouest said: “The offshore wind energy industry is generally well developed and understood, particularly in Europe where an enormous industry has developed over decades, but this industry is in an initial stage in the United States.
“There is an unprecedented opportunity, with 12 offshore wind projects planned, an additional 10 offshore wind leases signed, and another six wind leases awaiting award … We’re unique in the US offshore marine vessel industry with our own in-house engineering group, our own shipyards, and a wealth of expertise in the offshore industry putting us in a dominant position in the industry with the unique capability to engineer, construct and operate specialised vessels for this market.”
The vessel will be capable of housing 60 passengers.
Crew will have access to passenger staterooms with private bathrooms, an exercise room, cinema/training room, internet cafe and multiple lounges.
The SOV will include a below deck warehouse to palletise storage for wind farm tools, components and supplies with step-less access to an elevator.
A daughter craft, with associated launch and recovery system and hydraulic height-compensating landing platform, will also be installed for infield turbine repair operations.
The SOV will operate on diesel electric power that meets EPA Tier 4 emission standards and will feature proprietary ECO variable frequency drive (VFD) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Orsted US offshore CEO Thomas Brostrom said: “This is an incredible moment for the American offshore wind industry.
“It is hard to state what this moment means for this new, multi-billion dollar industry.
“The SOV is not only a crucial part of our plans to build out and perate our Northeast Wind Farms, but it represents just how far reaching the economic impacts of offshore wind can be; offshore wind means massive investments for U.S companies and jobs for American workers, even those in states without active projects.”