Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) is designing and developing the first US-flagged Jones Act-compliant vessel for subsea rock installation for deployment in offshore wind.
Pending federal permitting and regulatory approvals as well as a final investment decision, the vessel will be operational as early as the first quarter of 2024, to coincide with major offshore wind project construction timelines.
GLDD, which has a background in dredging, marine engineering, specialised vessel design and safe offshore operations, said its move into the offshore wind is a “natural business progression”.
GLDD said the vessel is expected to help spur additional job growth and regional economic opportunities corresponding with the establishment of a US-based rock supply chain network for subsea rock installation, with quarries in states along the East Coast.
While the vessel will initially serve the East Coast, GLDD said it will be available as offshore wind projects develop along the Gulf of Mexico and the West Coast.
GLDD CEO Lasse Petterson said: “US offshore wind’s potential growth could be a true economic stimulus for America.
“We believe this is the optimal time for us to leverage our extensive specialized vessel expertise to enter this exciting market now coming to the United States.
“We are initiating this project because we firmly believe that a Jones Act compliant offshore wind subsea rock installation vessel is a critical foundational piece required to advance the US offshore wind energy industry.”
GLDD has engaged Ulstein Design and Solutions for the vessel’s conceptual and regulatory design engineering.
GLDD plans to design the vessel to state-of-the-art specifications and build the vessel with the highest maritime standards, including air-quality controls to adhere to EPA Tier 4 emissions standards.
“We applaud GLDD’s foresight and decisive action in entering this potentially transformative new industry in its early days.
“Their new vessel will complete another major piece of the offshore wind industry puzzle,” said Liz Burdock, Business Network for Offshore Wind CEO.