Page 53: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2022)

TECH FILE WTIV / HEAVY LIFT our solution, we’re able to quickly go different contract outside of the U.S., dence that there’s no show-stoppers, that through the entire preloading of the leg those feeder racks can be taken off.” the technology is feasible and practical.” footings and get to our minimal air gap The BargeRack has been engineered F&G has been presenting its BargeR- before bringing the feeder on. Then, the to be installed on newbuilds or retro? t- ack to the market with hopes of cash- rack is deployed, the feeder comes on ted, whether on F&G’s designs or oth- ing in as the U.S. offshore wind industry and we elevate the barge.” ers. F&G’s latest iteration is designed to ramps up. “We see a big opportunity for

The solution, while initially created lift a barge of suf? cient size and capa- feeder solutions, given (a) the cost of a for relatively small jack-ups in the U.S. bility to transport 20 megawatt (MW) Jones-Act-compliant installation vessel, that would not transport wind turbines turbines. Clague said the company has and (b) the infrastructure challenges in due to Jones Act restrictions, has also been working with turbine vendors, the U.S.; both of those things point to- been tailored for use on larger WTIVs crane manufacturers and even barge ward the feeder solution, Clague said. that could potentially operate interna- builders to “future-proof” its designs. “We’ve done the design, we’ve ? led tionally as well. “The rack easily comes A WTIV designed with the BargeRack for the patent, and we think we have on and off the vessel. The owner puts system was recently granted approval in the best feeder solution. Now it’s just this removable rack on the vessel, and principle (AIP) from the American Bu- a matter of partnering up with the ? eld it operates in the U.S. as part of a feeder reau of Shipping (ABS). According to developer and the vessel owner and the solution. And then, if the vessel gets a Clague, this “gives owners more con? - logistics companies.”

MAERSK’S FIRST WTIV

Will Support US Offshore Wind

Maersk Supply Service mpire Offshore Wind, a joint ters in 2025, the newbuild will go to work vice where the jack-up locks the barge venture between Equinor and for the buildup of Empire Wind, located in position and pushes it into the sea to bp developing an offshore wind 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island. eliminate wave motions and stabilize

Efarm off the coast of New York, The project’s two phases, Empire Wind the barge. According to OSK, the so- awarded a contract to Maersk Sup- 1 and 2, have a total installed capacity of called “push concept” enables a safe ply Service for the charter of its new- more than 2 gigawatts (GW), that is 816 craning operation from one stable or build wind turbine installation vessel MW and 1,260 MW respectively. ? xed platform to another, expanding the (WTIV). This vessel—Maersk’s ? rst In conventional offshore wind instal- operational window for the vessel as un- dedicated exclusively to offshore wind lation operations, jack-up vessels are loading and installation can take place operations—will operate together with used both for transporting turbine com- in wave conditions exceeding 2 meters.

U.S.-constructed tugs and barges built ponents from port to location and for in- Maersk’s new WTIV will be supported and operated by Kirby Offshore Wind stallation before the process is repeated by two newbuild tugs and barges, which for the installation of the project’s Ves- with next the load. Maersk’s vessel will will transport the wind turbine compo- tas V236-15 megawatt (MW) turbines. rely on a ? eet of tugs and feeder barges nents from the South Brooklyn Marine

The ABS-classed WTIV will be built that will carry out the transportation be- Terminal to the Empire Wind lease area. in Singapore by SembCorp Marine, tween port and site, freeing the jack-up Kirby Offshore Wind, a subsidiary of with a steel-cutting ceremony slated for from transportation and allowing it to Kirby Corporation, will have the two the fourth quarter of 2022. The jacking remain on location to carry out succes- new ABS-classed feeder barges and die- units, load transfer system and crane sive installations. Importantly, the feed- sel-electric hybrid tugboats constructed will be provided by NOV, while Kongs- er approach also allows the non-U.S.- in U.S. shipyards for a total combined berg Maritime will supply the complete built WTIV to operate in compliance cost in the range of $80 million to $100 electrical system and the integrated con- with Jones Act regulations in the U.S. million. Each feeder barge will have the trol system. The design work has been The vessel will feature a patented capacity to transport next-generation tur- supported by ABS. load transfer system jointly developed bines of 15 MW and higher as turbine

Scheduled to be delivered into U.S. wa- by OSK Group and Maersk Supply Ser- technology advances. www.marinelink.com 53

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