US-based Crowley and Denmark’s ESVAGT plan to set-up a joint venture to offer purpose-built, Jones Act compliant offshore wind support vessels for the emerging offshore wind energy market in the US.

Based on the requirements of the US Jones Act, Crowley will own and operate the vessels with US-national seafarers, while Crowley and ESVAGT will share in the economics of the venture.

ESVAGT is the leading Service Operation Vessel (SOV) operator in Europe and will provide technical advice on the design, construction, and operation of these vessels based solidly on their past performance with this specific vessel type.

The venture will work to develop a design and deliver its first wind-dedicated, USflagged- SOV. The companies are now positioning to advance wind farm development by directly addressing shortages of compliant vessel capacity.

Earlier this year, Crowley formed its New Energy division strategically focused on diverse services supporting the emerging energy sectors in the US and adjacent regions. Within the offshore wind industry, Crowley’s New Energy expansion, including this latest partnership, advances the company as a total lifecycle service provider. Service offerings include transportation of turbines during construction, industry-specific support vessels, shoreside and supply chain services from farm construction through decommissioning.

“This partnership will marry Crowley’s transferable engineering, vessel operations, project management and logistics experience in the US offshore markets to ESVAGT’s global SOV design and operations capabilities. This will enable the continued growth of sustainable, greener energy solutions by directly addressing the offshore wind service capacity challenge,” said Tom Crowley, Chairman and CEO.

“ESVAGT looks forward to further cementing its position as an offshore wind market leader by entering the US offshore wind market with Crowley, a strong partner with an established track record of delivering solutions to its customers,” said ESVAGT CEO Peter Lytzen.

“ESVAGT’s experience in Europe will help deliver a seamless operation in the United States, and we also appreciate the opportunity to invest in the construction of these vessels in compliance with the Jones Act.”

Source: Seatrade Maritime