The new vessel, which is scheduled for delivery in 2023, will be available for charter hire to offshore wind developers
Keppel starts construction of offshore wind installation vessel. (Credit: Pixabay/Thomas G.)
Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has secured a contract to build an offshore wind turbine installation vessel from US-based energy company Dominion Energy.
As part of the $600m engineering, procurement and construction contract it secured, the vessel is being built by Keppel O&M’s shipyard in the US, Keppel AmFELS.
The company further stated that the vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2023 and will be Jones Act compliant.
To be named Charybdis, the new vessel will be available for charter hire to offshore wind developers to support several of the upcoming offshore wind farms to be built off the US coast.
The vessel is expected to support in installing at least 5GW of offshore wind in the US
By 2027, the vessel is expected to support the installation of 5GW offshore wind projects on the US East Coast.
As per Keppel, the vessel’s hull will have a length of 472ft, a width of 184ft and a depth of 38ft, making it one of the biggest offshore wind installation vessels in the world.
It will feature a main crane with a boom length of 426ft and an expected lifting capacity of 2,200 tonnes. The WTIV is expected to accommodate about 119 people.
It is claimed to have been designed to handle current turbine technologies as well as next generation turbines sizes of 12MW or larger and is capable of installing foundations for turbines and other heavy lifts.
Keppel O&M CEO Chris Ong said: “We are pleased to be selected by Dominion Energy to build the first offshore wind turbine installation vessel in the U.S., which is also one of the largest vessels of its kind in the world.
“It is a testament to the capabilities of our shipyard in building a wide variety of vessels for the Jones Act market. Keppel AmFELS is proud to be a pioneer in providing offshore wind infrastructure solutions in the U.S. with our partner Dominion Energy.
“With a strong engineering, procurement, and construction expertise, we have built a track record of delivering projects on time and on budget. We are able to harness Keppel O&M’s global network of yards, and experience in the offshore renewables market to expand our footprint and provide solutions in the clean energy transition.”