Page 41: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2021)

OFFSHORE WIND DEALS hen Maritime Re-

Preparing for the Job Collaboration Required porter TV interviewed

While the opportunity is great, it does Globally, the maritime industry faces

Jeff Andreini, VP, not come without challenges, and one a number of transcendent changes to its

WNew Energy Division, of the chief challenges today is simply business model, from digitalization to

Crowley the week before the deal with ensuring that there are enough physical autonomy to decarbonization; changes

Esvagt was announced, the 42-year vet- maritime assets – from Wind Turbine that will require collaboration for even eran of Crowley, was eager to discuss Installation Vessels (WTIV) to Ser- the largest players to succeed.

the rising offshore wind market and its vice Operation Vessels (SOV) to Crew For Crowley that meant announcing meaning not just for Crowley, but for the

Transfer Vessels (CTV) to ensure that a a joint venture with Denmark’s ES-

U.S. maritime industry as a whole.

there is an ability to install and maintain VAGT to build, own, and operate U.S.-

It was Andreini’s grandfather who at pace, particularly as other world mar- ? ag SOVs.

helped him get his ? rst job at Crowley, kets come online with offshore wind. “SOVs, in my opinion, next to wind and in fact his grandfather was the lon- “There’s not enough assets at this installation vessels, are the most capi- gest-tenured Crowley employee ever, point and time. And I think a lot of tal-intensive asset in the offshore wind and the only one to work with all three people in the industry would tell you industry,” said Andreini. “This is a re- generations of Crowley’s. Andreini’s the same thing,” said Andreini. “When lationship that the company has been experience with Crowley is broad based, we look at our feedering systems that working on for months, and we are ex- and he has worked in nearly every divi- we’re offering up to the installers and cited to share it with everyone, as it le- sion – from the administration to opera- the developers, and the amount of time gitimizes that offshore wind is for real.” tions – and geographic local, from the they’re going to need those barges, and Consistent with the requirements of west to the east coast, currently work- just the cross section of all the different the U.S. Jones Act, Crowley will own ing out of Crowley’s Houston of? ce. To jobs that are going to be occurring at the and operate the vessels with its U.S. overstate the obvious, Andreini knows same time, the assets are going to run the Crowley brand and capabilities in- dry very, very quickly. And not just the side and out.

barges, you’re going to need tugboats “(With offshore wind) there is an ex- as well. In some cases, you might need cellent opportunity for Crowley, and I two tugs for every feeder barge. So if think is an opportunity for a lot of dif- you’re talking about using our equip- ferent companies in the U.S. For us, off- ment as an example, we could be doing shore wind is in the wheelhouse of what a wind farm for installation for roughly

Crowley is all about. We are a marine two years straight, with two barges, and transportation and a logistics company, potentially with four tugs.” and at its core, this is what offshore

While the specialty vessel construc- wind is about as well.” tion challenges are one aspect, they are

Despite a number of stops and starts not alone in the list of hurdle. “I think in offshore wind, the U.S. seems primed that we should all should understand is and ? ring on all cylinders to make the the terminal infrastructure side,” said ? edgling U.S. industry a global power-

Andreini. house by 2030, with broad and growing “A lot of the marshaling facilities are political, economic and industrial sup- being built up today. But still, there’s a port, an evolution that could help to lift lot of green and brown ? eld facilities the maritime, offshore energy, subsea, that have been identi? ed that still need port and logistics sectors for generations to be dredged and built-in time to get to come.

going here by 2023. So the nation has a “It’s the long-term play, not only for a tremendous amount of work. Since the company like ourselves, but I would say

Biden Administration has taken over it’s many different companies within,” said been like a tidal wave of information

Andreini. “We are moving into a new and requests that have come out over the world, where, by 2040 to 2050, you’re last 50 days. And I anticipate that’s go- going to see a reduction to zero green- ing to continue in earnest over the next house gas emissions.” at least two years, if not longer.” www.marinelink.com 41

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