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Dutch unveil Jones Act offshore wind feeder vessel design

Dutch offshore access provider Ampelmann and ship design company C-Job Naval Architects have teamed up to develop an offshore wind feeder vessel concept with motion compensation technology, specifically suited for construction and logistics in the United States under the Jones Act.

The vessel has an L-shaped superstructure, which is said to enable the transport of all wind turbine components, including the blades, and features a specially designed motion compensation system by Ampelmann.

The conventional way of offshore wind construction is that the installation vessel would transport the components and then do the installation of the turbines. However, the two companies claim this is an inefficient use of the WTIV and in the case of foreign vessels not allowed by the Jones Act.

With this feeder concept, which is envisioned to be a series, the turbine components are brought to the installation site by the feeder vessel. With two or more vessels per project, this allows the WTIV to focus on the installation of the turbines and ensures operations can continue at all times, the Dutch companies explained.

Todd Allen, VP Business Development at C-Job Naval Architects, said: “The United States is ambitious in its plans to grow the installed offshore wind power. The only viable way to realize this goal while complying with the Jones Act is utilizing offshore wind feeder vessels. Together with our strategic partner Ampelmann, the experts in motion compensation, we have created an innovative ship design ready to support construction of US wind farms today and into the future.”

Gus DeOliveira, Ampelmann’s business development area manager for the Americas, stated: “We see a lot of potential for the offshore wind market in the US and believe that we can add some unique value based on our decades long experience in the offshore wind market. Our partnership with C-Job is crucial if we are to design and deliver just the right solution for this growing market.”

Adis Ajdin

Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy.
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