CREST, which is Crowley and ESVAGT’s US joint venture, has chosen HAV Design to develop a newbuild service operation vessel (SOV) destined for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, according to the company's release.
The contract marks the US breakthrough for HAV Design, which becomes the first European ship designer to develop an SOV for the US market.
The USA aspires to add 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030. According to class society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and other industry experts, this massive build-out will require more than 100 U.S. vessels.
The newbuild hybrid vessel will be HAV 832 SOV design and will be constructed by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. HAV Design’s contract is with Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding.
The ABS-class vessel will be 88 metres long and 17.6 metres wide. She can carry 20 crew and 60 special personnel and sail under US flag. The ship will go into service in 2026.
ESVAGT is a dedicated provider of safety and support at sea and a market leader within offshore wind solutions. The company has a fleet of more than 40 vessels and approximately 1,200 employees offshore and onshore. It is recognized as the market leader and largest operator of SOVs in Europe.
US-based Crowley and Danish shipowner ESVAGT has established a joint venture to bolster purpose-built, Jones Act vessel availability in support of the emerging offshore wind energy market in the USA. Consistent with the requirements of the Jones Act, Crest will be the owner of the vessel, Crowley will operate the SOV with U.S mariners, while ESVAGT will provide technical advice on the design, construction, and operation of these vessels based on their vast experience with high performance with this specific vessel type.
Following completion, the newbuild SOV will go on charter for Dominion Energy for its massive 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project which will include 176 wind turbine generators provided by Siemens Gamesa. Once online, the project is expected to provide enough clean energy to power up to 660,000 homes at rated wind speed, avoiding more than 5 million tonnes per year of carbon emissions compared to fossil fuel-based power generation.
HAV Design is at the forefront of guiding the shipping industry towards a sustainable future at sea. With a proven track record of more than 100 ship designs, state-of-the-art know-how, and virtual design tools, HAV Design accommodates zero-emission solutions and is equipped to meet the environmental requirements of the future.