Crowley/ESVAGT venture orders wind farm support vessel
The new vessel will enhance service for the U.S. clean wind energy market (Source: Crowley)
U.S. group Crowley and Danish offshore company ESVAGT placed an order with U.S. yard Fincantieri Marine, part of Italian yard group Fincantieri, for a service operations vessel (SOV) under a long-term charter from Germany’s Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
Under the new contract, U.S.-based Crowley will manage and crew the SOV to support Siemens Gamesa’s service operations on the Dominion Energy Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. ESVAGT, based in Denmark, will support Crowley with design, construction, crew training and operation services as part of the two companies’ joint venture, CREST Wind, created in 2021.
The 88m-long vessel will have accommodation for 80 crew and technicians. The state-of-the-art SOV will incorporate the newest technologies and is designed for comfort and high workability, providing a highly efficient workspace and safe transfer of technicians at the windfarm via a motion-compensated gangway and transfer boats.
Consistent with the Jones Act, the vessel will be U.S. built and is scheduled to enter service in 2026. Under the Jones Act, ships operating in U.S. waters must be built in U.S. yards.
