Crowley and ESVAGT Advance Plan to Build Jones Act SOV for U.S. Wind Market

U.S.-based shipping company Crowley and Danish offshore services company ESVAGT have agreed to jointly build and operate a service operations vessel (SOV) for the U.S. wind market.

The SOV will be under a long-term charter with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy to support Siemens Gamesa’s service operations on the Dominion Energy Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Crowley will manage and crew the SOV.

You may recall… ESVAGT and Crowley entered into a joint venture partnership in 2021 to develop a best-in-class design and deliver its first wind-dedicated, U.S-flag SOV. As part of joint venture, known CREST Wind, ESVAGT, a leading SOV operator in Europe, will support Crowley with design, construction, crew training and operation services.

SOVs serve as an at-sea base for wind farm service technicians, providing housing, on-board workshops and much of the equipment and spare parts needed to service offshore wind farms.

Crowley says the 289-foot vessel will feature state-of-the-art technologies to augment safety, workability and comfort to support the O&M activities of the wind farm project. It will have modern accommodations for 80 crew and technicians. The vessel will be U.S. built in compliance with the Jones Act and is planned to enter service in 2026.

“This vessel marks another significant milestone in our overarching, combined capabilities to help develop, construct and serve the U.S. offshore wind market and America’s clean, renewable energy needs,” said Bob Karl, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Wind Services. “We appreciate Siemens Gamesa’s trust in our capabilities, and we look forward to continuing our work to develop state-of-the-art, purpose-built vessels to meet sustainable energy demands in the U.S.”

ESVAGT has been operating in the offshore wind market for more than a decade and pioneered the SOV concept in Europe.

“This first contract in the U.S. is a landmark event for ESVAGT in our quest to help drive the green transition as a global leader of SOV services,” said Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer Soren Karas of ESVAGT. “We are excited to bring our decades of offshore wind experience to bear in a new market through our CREST JV with the premier Jones Act operator, Crowley. Together, we can offer an unparalleled solution to the wind industry and are delighted that Siemens Gamesa have recognized this.”

Dominion Energy plans to construct 176 14.7 MW Siemens Gamesa wind turbines and three offshore substations, generating enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 660,000 homes.

“This is an important step in the development of a skilled offshore workforce in America,” said David Hickey, CEO, Service Americas for Siemens Gamesa. “This charter will enable us to provide top-tier service for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project with a U.S.-built vessel.”

The SOV is the latest in Crowley’s push into the offshore wind market. In early 2021, Crowley launched a “New Energy” division, encompassing the emerging offshore wind and LNG sectors in the U.S. Crowley company is also developing offshore wind terminals in California and Massachusetts.

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