Construction Begins on Three US CTVs for Emerging Offshore Wind Farms 

As the U.S. offshore wind industry moves forward with the construction of the first large, commercial-scale wind farms, it is creating new opportunities for the shipbuilding sector and vessel operations. Among the new operators that are emerging to service the industry is a firm called WINDEA CTV, which started construction for the three new U.S. crew vessels as part of its anticipated fleet to service the emerging market.

WINDEA CTV is a newly launched operation, part of the WINDEA Offshore USA consortium, focused on serving the various maritime needs of offshore wind farm developers, installers, and OEMs in the United States. The company, which is a joint venture between MidOcean Wind, Hornblower Group, and Ems Maritime Offshore, seeks to build on its partners’ operational experience in the European offshore wind CTV market to build a fleet of next-generation CTVs for charter to offshore wind developers, installers, and turbine manufacturers.

 

Three Incat Crowther designed CTVs started construction in the U.S. (WINDEA CTV)

 

Construction on the company’s first three 30-meter (98 foot) hybrid ready CTVs is getting underway with the vessels scheduled for delivery in 2023. Two of the Incat Crowther designed CTVs will be constructed at St. Johns Shipyard in Palatka, Florida and one will be built at Gulf Craft in Franklin, Louisiana.  

“In collaboration with our operating partner Hornblower we are pleased to be working with Incat Crowther and the shipyards to construct the first vessels of our CTV fleet in the U.S.,” said Bradley Neuberth, Managing Partner of WINDEA CTV and owner MidOcean Wind.  “These three CTVs represent the first wave of our fleet which we have been developing since 2019 with our European partners.” 

The partnership believes it is well-positioned to build and operate a large fleet of CTVs that will be needed to serve the ongoing, rapid expansion of offshore wind power in the Northeast and across the United States. The first three vessels when completed will go immediately into service for GE Renewables. The vessels will first operate out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, during the construction of Vineyard Wind I.

Vineyard Wind is a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. Work on what is being called the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S. began in November 2021. The 800-megawatt project, which will consist of 62, General Electric Haliade-X wind turbines, will be located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. It is due to go into service in 2023.