Construction begins on Crowley-ESVAGT wind farm service vessel
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding began construction on a 289-foot service operation vessel (SOV) for a Crowley-ESVAGT joint venture that will house and transport technicians to maintain U.S. offshore wind farms, according to Crowley's release.
This vessel, for the joint venture CREST Wind, will operate under a long-term charter with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
SOVs are purpose-built vessels used to accommodate and transport wind-farm technicians to service and maintain wind turbines at sea. Crowley is an innovative U.S. maritime, energy and logistics solution company serving the offshore wind market, while Denmark-based ESVAGT is the leading provider of SOV services in Europe.
The SOV will feature state-of the art technologies to augment safety, workability and comfort to support the operation and maintenance of wind installations. It will have modern accommodations for 80 crew and technicians. Consistent with federal law, the vessel will be U.S.- built and flagged. The ship will utilize the HAV 832 SOV design, made by HAV Design AS, of Norway, and it is considered one of the best in the industry.
The vessel is scheduled to enter service in 2026, when it will support the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project.
