Green Shipping Line and DEKC to Design Jones Act Offshore Wind Vessels

The US-based Green Shipping Line (GSL) has signed a Teaming Agreement with the Dutch marine vessel engineer DEKC Maritime to pursue Jones Act-compliant offshore wind vessel solutions in the United States.

This announcement follows a string of deals by GSL, including an agreement with Keystone Shipping Company to operate future shuttle vessels in the US offshore wind market and a Teaming Agreement with Moran Iron Works to construct future vessels.

”DEKC’s extensive knowledge and capabilities provide GSL with an ideal partner to design our fleet of modern Jones Act feeder vessels, including our flagship Eleanor model,” said Percy R. Pyne IV, founding partner of GSL.

”This agreement furthers our ability to provide efficient, proven, green solutions for offshore wind developers and component manufacturers in the U.S.”

DEKC Maritime, headquartered in Groningen, Netherlands, has designed a multi-purpose vessel known as the ‘swiss army knife’ vessel of the offshore wind industry in Europe.

GSL’s multi-purpose cargo vessel – the Eleanor model – will complement DEKC’s European offshore wind vessel, the shipping company said.

With an approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping, GSL’s Eleanor model is able to transport offshore wind components such as towers, nacelles, and blades from a port to installation sites in a two-day cycle, cutting down on costs and production time by over 40 per cent, GSL said. It will also be the first vessel of its kind in the US capable of transporting all of the components of a wind tower, according to GSL.

The 364-ft multipurpose vessel can also be configured to perform rock dumping, scour protection, and offshore accommodation.

Fully Jones Act-compliant, the Eleanor will be built in the US at the Moran Iron Works Shipyard in Onaway Michigan and operated by Keystone Shipping Company. It will be flagged American and manned by an American crew and can operate out of all the regional ports along the United States’ East Coast due to its unique dimensions and draft. The Eleanor model will be available for delivery as soon as mid-2023.

”We look forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise with GSL and helping develop their fleet. Our aim is to take the experience we have gathered over the past decade in offshore wind and utilize it to provide the best vessels and solutions for the emerging U.S. offshore wind market,” said Cor Lettenga, Managing Director of DEKC Maritime.

Following a study that included examining US and European ports, channels, and quays, and multiple visits to Europe to look at wind farm components, GSL identified an existing vessel design that would not require dredging to accommodate US ports or manufacturing needs, the New Jersey-based company said.