Crowley and Esvagt JV scores Siemens Gamesa charter for SOV newbuild in the US
US-based owner Crowley and Danish offshore player Esvagt have secured a 15-year charter deal with wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa which will see them jointly build and operate a service operations vessel (SOV) for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia offshore wind project in the US.
Under the first contract in the US, Crowley will manage and crew the SOV, while Esvagt will support with design, construction, crew training and operation services as part of the two companies’ joint venture, Crest Wind, established in 2021.
The 88-m-long vessel will have accommodations for 80 crew and technicians, be US-built and enter service in 2026. HAV Design, a subsidiary of Norway’s HAV Group will design the ship, becoming the first European ship designer to develop an SOV for the US market. The shipyard of choice and financial details have yet to be disclosed.
As one of the first movers in the SOV arena, Esvagt transfers more than 250,000 personnel to offshore wind farm installations annually. Meanwhile, Crowley has been expanding its renewables portfolio with plans to develop and operate wind service terminals in California and Massachusetts and has developed a network of certified offshore wind training programs in the US.
Dominion Energy’s 2.6 GW planned offshore wind project is located around 43 km off the coast of Virginia Beach. Once the construction is completed in 2026, it will be capable of supplying clean energy to as many as 660,000 households while reducing carbon emissions by over 2m tonnes per year.
