Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD), Houston, has sued Philly Shipyard citing significant delays and disagreements over the construction of the subsea rock installation vessel Arcadia. The complaint, filed in U.S. Eastern District Court, includes a request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, claiming the shipyard's actions are causing substantial harm to the project timeline.
In November 2021, GLDD awarded Philly Shipyard the $197 million contract to build the Arcadia, a 461' fallpipe vessel, the first of its kind in the U.S., designed to support the offshore wind sector.
The vessel, capable of carrying 20,000 metric tons of rock, will lay foundations for offshore wind turbine monopiles. Originally scheduled for delivery on Nov. 15, 2024, the project’s timeline has since been revised twice.
Assembly on the Arcadia began in May 2024. GLDD claims the shipyard has failed to adhere to its revised timelines, with the latest estimated completion date Sept. 30, 2026.
GLDD's court filing accuses Philly Shipyard of failing to prioritize the Arcadia, citing resource sharing with other projects, and the yard's overall mismanagement. GLDD asserts these issues have caused repeated delays and violated their Vessel Construction Agreement (VCA).
“Great Lakes’s patience has reached its end, because it recently became apparent that Philly’s pattern of false promises, failure to take seriously its contractual commitments, and breaches of the VCA threatened to irreparably harm Great Lakes,” GLDD stated in its court filing.
The lawsuit also opposes a plan by Philly Shipyard to float the incomplete Arcadia to free up drydock space for another Maritime Administration (Marad) vessel under construction. GLDD said the vessel is not ready for the move and contends this action would further delay its completion.
Great Lakes has asked the court to block the Arcadia from being moved prematurely, prevent Philly Shipyard’s resource diversion to other projects, require Philly Shipyard to develop a comprehensive construction schedule, and to expedite material orders and shipments to recover lost time.
U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Costello has ordered Philly Shipyard to respond to GLDD’s motion by Dec. 4. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6 to review the request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
