ON THE WAYS CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT WORKBOAT YARDS
Maersk Supply Service
Maersk installation vessel for waters off N.Y. will be built in Singapore
The WTIV for Empire Wind will feature jacking units, a load transfer system and crane from offshore crane manufacturer NOV.
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wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) to be built in Singapore will be teamed with U.S.-built tugs and barges to install the Empire Wind offshore turbine project outside New York Harbor, according to wind developers Equinor and BP, and Maersk Supply Service. Copenhagen-based Maersk said it’s been developing a design concept since 2019 with “unique feeder capabilities” to make its WTIV 30% more efficient than using other jackup vessels. Without any U.S.-flag installation vessels built yet, offshore wind developers are expected to rely on the feeder model — using Jones Act-compliant tugs and barges to carry wind turbine components out to foreign-flag WTIVs at sea. With its improved handling design, the Maersk WTIV may be better equipped to tackle tricky transfers of heavy turbine tower parts. Maersk said its installation concept includes a novel WTIV design “with a patented load transfer system that will enable safe transfer of cargo.’ The concept will utilize two new tugs and barges to transport wind turbine components out to the installation 26
site, while the wind installation vessel itself will remain on location to carry out successive installations. SembCorp Marine, Singapore, will build the WTIV with a steel-cutting ceremony set for the fourth quarter, according to Maersk. The vessel’s jacking units, load transfer system and crane will be provided by Houston-based offshore crane manufacturer NOV Inc., while ABS is supporting the design work. Maersk expects it will deliver the vessel into U.S. waters in 2025. Meanwhile, Jones Act-compliant tugs and barges will be built in the U.S. by Kirby Offshore Wind — in the “feeder barge” model that’s to be used, pending arrival of new U.S.-built WTIVs into the market. “The newbuilt tugs and barges will further create employment opportunities for U.S. citizens — both during the vessel construction phase and the subsequent operations for Equinor and BP,” according to Maersk. According to a Department of Energy report, WTIVs are self-powered vessels with jackup capabilities, purpose-built for offshore wind farm installation and O&M activities. www.workboat.com • JUNE 2022 • WorkBoat
