Page 38: of Marine News Magazine (August 2023)

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Feature

Shipbuilding

Acadia is currently under construction and scheduled to en- shore wind. To date, only one WTIV has been ordered ter service by the end of 2024, when it will be used to install in the United States: Dominion Energy’s Charybdis cur- monopile scour protection on the Vineyard Wind project. rently under construction at the Keppel AmFELS shipyard

GLDD has also formed a consortium with Van Oord to per- in Brownsville, Texas. The vessel, which is scheduled to form subsea rock installation on the Empire 1 & 2 projects. be delivered in 2024, is booked for the installation of Sie-

GLDD has an option to acquire a second SRIV from Philly mens Gamesa turbines on Dominion’s Coastal Virginia

Shipyard at a later date. commercial project and Ørsted’s Sunrise 1 and Revolu-

It is worth noting that foreign-? agged vessels can be used tion Wind farms. In addition, the charter terms allow the to carry scour from a U.S. port and to install the initial vessel to support the construction of Dominion Energy’s layer of scour on the “pristine” seabed, according to recent 2.6-gigawatt CVOW project, which is expected to be com- rulings by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). pleted in 2026.

However, once the ? rst layer is installed, a coastwise point Because U.S.-built WTIVs come with a signi? cantly is created and a Jones Act compliant vessel like GLDD’s higher sticker price, most, if not all, going forward will

Acadia must be used for subsequent layers of scour. likely be built overseas and supported by Jones Act tug and barge feeder spreads. For example, Maersk Supply Services

Wind turbine installation vessels and Kirby Corporation have been awarded a contract for

WTIVs are most often self-elevating jackups equipped the transportation and installation of the wind turbines for with high-powered cranes for the installation of offshore Equinor/BP’s Empire Wind I and II. Maersk is building wind turbines. These are the largest and most complex— installation vessel for the project at SembCorp Marine Sin- and therefore most expensive—vessels required for off- gapore for delivery in 2025.

Crest Wind, a joint venture between

Crowley and ESVAGT, has selected

Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding to construct a SOV for operations in the U.S. offshore wind sector.

Crest Wind | MN August 2023 38