Crowley and Danish offshore maritime company ESVAGT will jointly build and operate a 288.7'x57.7' HAV 832 service operations vessel (SOV) under a long-term charter with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
HAV Design AS, a leading designer of SOVs in Norway, designed this specific vessel. The SOV will be built by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (FBS) at its shipyard in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., and will go into service in 2026.
Under the new contract, U.S.-based Crowley will manage and crew the SOV to support Siemens Gamesa’s service operations on the Dominion Energy Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project off the coast of Virginia. ESVAGT, based in Esbjerg, Denmark, will support Crowley with design, construction, crew training and operation services as part of the two companies’ joint venture, CREST Wind, created in 2021.
The state-of-the-art SOV will incorporate the latest technologies with a highly trained crew aided by digital tools that leverage their efficiency, safety and productivity. The SOV is designed for comfort and high workability, providing a highly efficient workspace and safe transfer of technicians at the windfarm via a motion-compensated gangway and transfer boats. It will also offer recreational activities for the onboard crew and technicians, including fitness facilities, a game room, a cinema and individual accommodations.
The new vessel will have a 20.3' draft, and feature state-of-the-art technologies to augment safety, workability and comfort to support the O&M activities of the wind farm project. It will have modern accommodations for 80 crew and technicians. Consistent with federal law, the vessel will be U.S. built.
“This vessel marks another significant milestone in our overarching, combined capabilities to help develop, construct and serve the U.S. offshore wind market and America’s clean, renewable energy needs," Bob Karl, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Wind Services, said in a statement.
ESVAGT is one of the largest operators of SOVs in Europe.
“This first contract in the U.S. is a landmark event for ESVAGT in our quest to help drive the green transition as a global leader of SOV services,” said chief strategy and commercial officer Soren Karas of ESVAGT. “We are excited to bring our decades of offshore wind experience to bear in a new market through our CREST JV with the premier Jones Act operator, Crowley. Together, we can offer an unparalleled solution to the wind industry and are delighted that Siemens Gamesa have recognized this.”
Dominion Energy said it plans to construct 176 14.7 MW Siemens Gamesa wind turbines and three offshore substations, generating enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 660,000 homes. Dominion said this would produce five million tons per year less of carbon emissions compared with fossil fuel usage for power.
“This is an important step in the development of a skilled offshore workforce in America,” said David Hickey, CEO, Service Americas for Siemens Gamesa. “This charter will enable us to provide top-tier service for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project with a U.S.-built vessel.”
“We are proud to be associated with important ‘green’ projects like this,” Marco Galbiati, CEO of Fincantieri Marine Group, said in a statement. “The SOV market is one of the most interesting and important markets for our company.”
Crowley is also developing offshore wind terminals in California and Massachusetts.
