Maersk Partners With Edison Chouest For US Offshore Wind Farm

Maersk Partners With Edison Chouest For US Offshore Wind Farm. Photo: Maersk

Maersk Supply Service will partner with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) for the construction and operation of a wind farm feeder concept specifically designed for Maersk Supply Service’s next-generation Wind Installation Vessel in the United States.

Maersk Supply Service looks to enable the steady transfer of turbine components at sea to accelerate the rollout of offshore wind. Maersk Supply Service is already invested in the U.S. Offshore wind market, and partnering with ECO to construct a purpose-built wind farm feeder spread is a natural next step. Maersk Supply Service provides offshore marine services for the offshore energy sectors, including oil, gas, and bottom-fixed wind.

“Maersk Supply Service’s new installation concept can make offshore wind farm installations significantly faster with estimated efficiency gains of 30%. The partnership with ECO makes this new technology available for the US offshore wind market enabling faster offshore wind installations in the U.S.,” says Christian M. Ingerslev, CEO at Maersk Supply Service. The purpose-built feeder spread includes two tugs and two barges to be delivered in 2026. They will be owned and operated by ECO and constructed by Bollinger Shipyards – the largest privately owned shipyard group in the United States.

As a key component to the installation process, this newbuild feeder spread will transport wind turbine components or foundations to the installation site, while the wind installation vessel (WIV) remains on location to complete successive installations, allowing faster installation, and thereby enabling the wind park to be on-grid faster.

“This partnership facilitates the expansion of our existing footprint in the U.S. offshore wind industry, and our decades of offshore experience, efficiency, and focus on technology can play an important role in the further development of the U.S. offshore wind segment,” says Mr. Dino Chouest, Executive Vice President of ECO.

The specialized solution aims to open access to a greater number of U.S. ports logistically. Using U.S.-built, -owned and -flagged tugs and barges to ferry turbine components, Maersk Supply Service’s innovative locking and stabilizing mechanism between the WIV and barge will render installations far less dependent on weather conditions, thereby reducing the number of operating days required to install a wind park.