Dublin-headquartered aircraft lessor LCI has started delivering helicopters that will be leased under long-term arrangements to HeliService USA and be used on offshore wind projects. These are the first dedicated offshore wind helicopters in the United States.
The offshore helicopter transport provider based in Rhode Island, US, is leasing two AW169 helicopters, one of which will be a factory-built new aircraft. The helicopters are valued at over USD 20 million and equipped with hoisting systems to airlift technicians to and from wind turbines and can operate across a variety of sea states, according to LCI.
Jaspal Jandu, CEO of LCI, says that these modern helicopters emit up to five times less CO2 per passenger compared with offshore crew transfer vessels.
“We are delighted to be growing our partnership with HeliService USA. Their ability to leverage an unrivalled track record makes them a natural and trusted operator for the nascent offshore wind sector in the USA”, Jandu added.
“Helicopters are vital to efficient offshore wind operations, and we are excited to be bringing proven procedures and strong safety culture to this new clean energy industry” , said Michael Tosi , Managing Director of HeliService USA.
The two aircraft will support Ørsted and GE offshore wind operations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
In April last year, Ørsted and Eversource awarded a contract to HeliService USA for crew change operations during the construction of their offshore wind projects in the Northeast US: South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind , and Sunrise Wind offshore wind farms.
The 132 MW South Fork Wind project, New York’s first offshore wind farm, is currently under construction with the first monopile foundation installed . The wind turbines are scheduled to be installed later this year and the wind farm is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2023.
In June 2022, HeliService also won a contract with GE to provide offshore helicopter services for the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm, currently being built off Massachusetts. HeliService is operating from Martha’s Vineyard, where the Vineyard Wind joint venture has built a dedicated hangar including a passenger facility at Martha’s Vineyard Airport to accommodate the operation.
The company has also recently secured a major contract in Germany , where Omexom Renewable Energies Offshore, former EWE Offshore Service & Solutions (EWE OSS), hired HeliService for helicopter transport for five offshore wind farms for at least two years.