St. Johns Ship Building has begun construction on the first in a series of Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) for Rhode Island-based Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT).
The Florida-based shipbuilder held a keel laying ceremony on 8 September, marking the start of construction for the first of six Chartwell-designed aluminum catamarans that AWT will use to service the US offshore wind industry.
The company placed an order for the vessels in August, saying that the first two CTVs are expected to be delivered in summer 2023 and January 2024, respectively, with four further in the pipeline.
The 25.2-metre long vessels will be the first US-built CTVs to be compliant with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 regulations, which rank among the most stringent emissions rules for marine engines in the world, according to AWT.
The CTVs will be able to transport 24 personnel to and from wind turbines and operate on any wind farm in the US up to 150 miles offshore.
The announcement follows the Jones Act shipyards’ acquisition by Americraft Marine earlier this year.
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