Wind energy – Jones Act
Furthering its support of the emerging offshore wind industry in the United States, Green Shipping Line (GSL) has signed a Teaming Agreement with leading European marine vessel engineer DEKC Maritime (DEKC) to pursue Jones Act compliant offshore wind vessel solutions in the United States.
GSL has been creating a viable solution for the U.S. offshore wind market for six years and has amassed a team of leading European and American partners to assist the U.S. in realizing its offshore wind goals. This announcement follows a string of deals by GSL, including an agreement with Keystone Shipping Company to operate future shuttle vessels in the U.S. offshore wind market and a Teaming Agreement with Moran Iron Works to construct future vessels.
“DEKC’s extensive knowledge and capabilities provide GSL with an ideal partner to design our fleet of modern Jones Act feeder vessels, including our flagship Eleanor model,” said Percy R. Pyne IV, founding partner of GSL. “This agreement furthers our ability to provide efficient, proven, green solutions for offshore wind developers and component manufacturers in the U.S.”
DEKC Maritime, headquartered in Groningen, Netherlands, is a leader in design and engineering for new build vessels. The company has designed a multi-purpose vessel known as the ‘swiss army knife’ vessel of the offshore wind industry in Europe for its extreme versatility and durability.
GSL’s multi-purpose cargo vessel – the “Eleanor” model – will complement DEKC’s trusted European offshore wind vessel, which is widely used today. With an approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping, GSL’s “Eleanor” model is highly efficient with the ability to transport offshore wind components (towers, nacelles and blades) from a port to installation sites in a two-day cycle, cutting down on costs and production time by over 40 percent. In fact, it will be the first vessel of its kind in the U.S. capable of transporting all of the components of a wind tower.
The 364-ft multipurpose vessel can also be configured to perform rock dumping, scour protection, and offshore accommodation. Fully Jones Act compliant, the Eleanor will be built in the U.S. at the Moran Iron Works Shipyard in Onaway Michigan and operated by Keystone Shipping Company.
It will be flagged American and manned by an American crew and can operate out of all the regional ports along the United States’ East Coast due to its unique dimensions and draft. The Eleanor model will be available for delivery as soon as mid-2023.
“We look forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise with GSL and helping develop their fleet. Our aim is to take the experience we have gathered over the past decade in offshore wind and utilize it to provide the best vessels and solutions for the emerging U.S. offshore wind market,” said Cor Lettenga, Managing Director of DEKC Maritime.