American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to a coordinated design for a wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) in conjunction with the innovative BargeRack feeder barge system by Friede and Goldman (F&G), according to ABS's release.
The design enables the Jones Act-compliant barge in a lifting system that F&G says reduces motion and increases the window of operational time. The design was reviewed in accordance with the ABS 2017 Guidance Notes on Review and Approval of Novel Concepts.
Development of the BargeRack WTIV is the latest vessel designed specifically for U.S. offshore wind operations to be supported by ABS. A subsea rock installation vessel is to be built to ABS Class and Charybdis, the first Jones Act-compliant WTIV, is also now under construction to ABS Class. The first U.S.-flagged Jones Act offshore wind farm service operation vessel (SOV) ever ordered will be built to ABS Class. These vessels will join the first ABS-classed crew transfer vessel (CTV) in the U.S., Windserve Odyssey. ABS has also issued AIPs for a series of wind support vessels from various designers.