US CTV Operator’s Offshore Wind Fleet Gets Orion Backing

The US crew transfer vessel (CTV) owner and operator American Offshore Services (A-O-S) has entered into a strategic partnership with Orion Infrastructure Capital to build what are said to be “state-of-the-art CTVs designed to transport technicians and materials in varied offshore conditions”.

Under the arrangement, Orion will provide financing to build a series of CTVs at Blount Boats in Rhode Island to service the United States’ emerging offshore wind industry.

The new Jones Act-compliant vessels are based on a CTV design from Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S), one of the joint venture partners in A-O-S.

According to A-O-S, the G-class vessel design will offer high efficiency and maximised performance, with the aluminum catamarans set to have a special compartment set aside for batteries to make the vessels hybrid-ready.

The company is a joint venture between Sweden’s Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S) and the US offshore logistics company SEA.O.G Offshore, established in 2020 to provide services to the US offshore wind industry.

In November 2021, A-O-S placed an order for four hybrid-ready CTVs from Blount Boats and said it planned to expand its fleet further.

A-O-S said it would provide its CTVs to four different wind farms offshore the US East Coast during the construction phase, starting in the second quarter of 2023.