Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. (GLDD), a provider of dredging services, says it is moving forward with the design and development of the first U.S.-flagged, Jones Act-compliant inclined fallpipe vessel for subsea rock installation.
The vessel represents a promising advancement in helping to build the future of the U.S. offshore wind industry, including establishing a U.S.-based rock supply chain network spanning Eastern seaboard states with active offshore wind leases.
Pending business conditions and a final investment decision, GLDD’s vessel will be U.S.-owned, built and operated. The project will also generate additional economic and job opportunities on the Gulf Coast – where the vessel will be built. While the vessel initially would serve the East Coast, GLDD believes it will be available for future offshore wind projects along the Gulf and West Coasts.
“U.S. offshore wind could be a true economic stimulus for the U.S.,” says Lasse Petterson, president and CEO of GLDD. “We believe this is the optimal time for us to enter this exciting market. We are initiating this project because we firmly believe that a Jones Act compliant offshore wind subsea rock installation vessel is a critical foundational piece required to advance the U.S. offshore wind energy industry.”
GLDD has engaged Ulstein Design and Solutions B.V. for the vessel’s conceptual and regulatory design engineering. GLDD plans to design and build the vessel with the highest maritime standards, including best-in-class air-quality controls to adhere to EPA Tier 4 emissions standards.
Pending federal permitting and regulatory approvals – as well as a final investment decision – the vessel will be operational as early as Q1 2024 to coincide with major offshore wind project construction timelines.
