International shipping firms Maersk and Edison Chouest Offshore are partnering to develop a new way to install offshore wind turbines more rapidly in US waters.
The pair will partner on a ‘wind farm feeder concept’ designed to sync up with Maersk’s wind installation vessel designed for offshore wind construction.
The concept will use two purpose-built tugboats and two barges due to be constructed by US firm Bollinger Shipyards by 2026, Maersk explained.
This fleet of specially designed vessels will transport wind turbine components or foundations to the offshore wind site, while its wind installation vessel stays at the location to complete installation, allowing for faster installation.
“Maersk Supply Service’s new installation concept can make offshore wind farm installations significantly faster with estimated efficiency gains of 30%,” claimed Christian Ingerslev, CEO at Maersk Supply Service.
Maersk hopes to use the concept to open more US ports for offshore wind installation amid numerous large planned offshore wind projects currently being developed. Under the US' Jones Act, vessels transporting goods from one point to another in US waters must be US-flagged.
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