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Jones Act-compliant vessels
Image courtesy of Dominion Energy.
IN SEPTEMBER 2020, THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSED THE EXPANDING ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACT OF 2019, INCLUDING AN AMENDMENT WHICH WOULD ENFORCE JONES ACT REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION.
The new Jones Act requirements prevent vessels built for the ofshore wind industry outside of the US to operate on US windfarm projects unless they do so from non-US bases (such as ports in Canada), or receive components and crew delivered by Jones Act-compliant feeder vessels. US coastal waters form a valuable source of renewable energy and ample ofshore windfarms are planned for constructon. Therefore, it is not without reason that companies involved in the ofshore wind industry are looking with great interest towards this market potental. The new Jones Act requirements for ofshore wind vessels limits the use of non-US ofshore wind vessels and today, the US lack sufcient ofshore vessel capacity to assist in the constructon of ofshore windfarms. However, with the recent announcement of several vessels to be built in the US, this omission will soon start to disappear.
With a length of 144m, a width of 56m and a depth of 11.5m, Dominion Energy’s installation vessel will be one of the biggest vessels of its kind in the world.
Installation vessel
First of all, Keppel AmFELS is building the frst Jones Act-compliant ofshore wind turbine installaton vessel for Dominion Energy at its shipyard in Brownsville, Texas. The companies recently celebrated the keel laying, when fabricatons from the frst steel, supplied domestcally, were laid to form the frst part of the keel – the botommost central steel structural beam on a vessel. “This is a monumental step for the ofshore wind industry in America”, says Robert M. Blue, Dominion Energy’s President and Chief Executve Ofcer. “Dominion Energy is delighted to be leading a consortum of respected industry partcipants in the constructon of the frst Jones Act-compliant ofshore wind turbine installaton vessel, which will provide signifcant American jobs and ofers a reliable, home-grown installaton soluton with the capacity to handle the next generaton of large-scale, highly-efcient turbine technologies. This will beter enable the ofshore wind industry to bring clean, renewable energy to customers in the US.” According to Domestc Energy, the new vessel represents a signifcant step in developing a domestc manufacturing supply chain to support the mult-gigawat opportunity for zero-carbon electricity generaton in US waters. The company expects the vessel to be fully utlised in support of the installaton of over 5GW of planned ofshore wind generaton of the US East Coast through 2027 and beyond. The vessel is expected to create nearly 700 direct constructon jobs. Once complete, the vessel will be based out of Hampton Roads, Virginia with a US crew. The vessel’s hull and infrastructure will utlise more than 14,000t of domestc steel and its hull has a length of 144m, a width of 56m and a depth of 11.5m, making it one of the biggest vessels of its kind in the world. It has accommodatons for up to 119 people. The vessel is designed to handle current turbine technologies as well as next generaton turbine sizes of 12MW or larger, and will also be capable of installing foundatons for turbines and other heavy lifs. Once constructed, the vessel will be available for charter hire, including by Dominion Energy Virginia, subject to the approval of the Virginia State Corporaton Commission, in connecton with the installaton of its Coastal Virginia Ofshore Wind commercial project.
Support growth
Dominion Energy contracted with Keppel AmFELS, a wholly-owned US subsidiary of Keppel Ofshore & Marine, for the >>
Image courtesy of Ulstein.
The keel laying of the frst Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel took place in December. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock contracted Ulstein Design & Solutions to design the frst Jones Act-compliant, inclined fallpipe vessel for subsea rock installation.
engineering, procurement, and constructon of the ofshore wind turbine installaton vessel. “We are pleased to be able to build the largest wind turbine installaton vessel in the US for Dominion Energy and support the growing ofshore wind industry. Keppel AmFELS has a solid track record and capabilites in a wide range of ofshore vessels, and we are also able to leverage the experience of our parent company, Keppel O&M, in ofshore renewables to provide a compelling constructon soluton for this milestone project”, states Mohamed Sahlan, President of Keppel AmFELS. “Supported by our highly-skilled local workforce, state-ofthe-art equipment, and reliable suppliers across the US, we are confdent of delivering a high-quality vessel to Dominion Energy safely, cost-efectvely and on tme.” The vessel is designed by GustoMSC, a business unit within NOV. “NOV is honoured to be part of this historic efort to harness ofshore wind to power the US electrical grid”, comments Clay Williams, NOV Chairman, President and Chief Executve Ofcer. “We are pleased to be partnering
with Dominion Energy, Seajacks, and Keppel AmFELS to develop the frst jack-up vessel for the US market purpose-built to install ofshore wind turbines.” Seajacks, a leader in the operaton of selfpropelled jack-up vessels that provide safe and efcient ofshore wind turbine installatons, will assist Dominion Energy with constructon and operatons oversight. “This next-generaton turbine installaton jack-up vessel is vital to the safe and costefectve deployment of ofshore wind energy in the United States”, voices Blair Ainslie, CEO of Seajacks. “Seajacks currently operates a feet of ofshore installaton jackups in Europe and Asia and is looking forward to developing the ofshore wind supply chain in the United States with our partners. Seajacks is proud to be working alongside Dominion Energy on this historic project.” Dominion Energy selected the global frm Huisman to fabricate the crane to be used on the ofshore wind turbine installaton vessel. Huisman, with factories in four countries worldwide, has an extensive product portolio in the ofshore wind market. The crane for this installaton vessel will be able to lif 2,200t and will enable the installaton of the new generaton state-ofthe-art wind turbines. “We are thrilled to contribute to Dominion Energy’s ambiton to enable large scale ofshore wind development in the US, and we are grateful for their trust in Huisman to deliver and install this crane,” remarks David Roodenburg, CEO of Huisman.
Fallpipe vessel
In December, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD) contracted Ulstein Design & Solutons to design the frst Jones Actcompliant, inclined fallpipe vessel for subsea rock installaton. The vessel is considered to be critcal in building the future of the US ofshore wind industry, including establishing a US-based rock supply chain network. GLDD’s vessel will be US owned, built and operated by American workers. The vessel is expected to help spur additonal job growth and regional economic opportunites corresponding with the establishment of a US-based rock supply chain network for subsea rock installaton, with quarries in states along the East Coast. Furthermore, the project should generate additonal economic and job opportunites on the Gulf Coast, where the vessel will be built. While the vessel initally would serve the East Coast, GLDD believes it will be available as ofshore wind projects develop along the Gulf and West Coasts. “US ofshore wind’s potental growth could be a true economic stmulus for America. We believe this is the optmal tme for us to leverage our extensive specialised vessel expertse to enter this excitng market now coming to the United States”, elaborates Lasse Peterson, GLDD’s Chief Executve Ofcer and President. “We are initatng this project because we frmly believe that a Jones Act-compliant ofshore wind subsea rock installaton vessel is a critcal foundatonal piece required to advance the US ofshore wind energy industry. We are commited to safe and sustainable operatons and excited to make history with this landmark vessel.” “We are extremely honoured that GLDD has entrusted us to develop their new asset”, comments Edwin van Leeuwen, Managing Director at Ulstein’s Dutch design ofce. “We much enjoyed the cooperaton with the GLDD team in developing the concept over the last couple of months, even though we never met physically due to the COVID-19 travel restrictons. Our team is eager to contnue the further development of the vessel with GLDD.” The vessel will primarily serve the growing needs in US ofshore wind, installing protectve layers of rock at ofshore wind turbine foundatons by means of an inclined fall pipe system. Furthermore, its large and strong af deck area makes the vessel a highly fexible asset to GLDD enabling specialised subsea operatons. “At the start of the design we applied our newly developed ‘Blended Design’ method, enabling GLDD to co-evolve their business case with the ship concept. This resulted in signifcant gains in economic performance, at the same tme reducing fuel consumpton and emissions, by optmising vessel main dimensions, speed and dynamic positoning capability”, mentons Ko Stroo, Ulstein’s Lead Naval Architect and Project Manager. “Our design for this US Coast Guard compliant vessel strongly focused on Jones Act-compliant shipbuilding in the US and ease of constructon.” The Basic Design will be developed by Ulstein’s Dutch design ofce, with strong engineering contributons from its sister ofces in Norway and Poland. Pending federal permitng and regulatory approvals as well as a fnal investment decision, the vessel will be operatonal as early as Q1 2024, to coincide with major ofshore wind project constructon tmelines.
Dominion Energy’s frst US offshore windfarm, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind trial project, was constructed in collaboration with, among others, Danish offshore wind specialist Ørsted.
Photo courtesy of Ørsted.
