GSL’s Eleanor Class Multi-Purpose Cargo Vessel Will Be First of Its Kind in the United States, Bringing New Game-Changing Solutions to the Emerging U.S. Offshore Wind Industry
Furthering its support of the emerging offshore wind industry in the United States, Green Shipping Line (GSL) is pleased to announce it has signed a Teaming Agreement with leading European marine vessel engineer DEKC Maritime (DEKC) to pursue Jones Act compliant offshore wind vessel solutions in the United States.
GSL has been creating a viable solution for the U.S. offshore wind market for six years and has amassed a team of leading European and American partners to assist the U.S. in realizing its offshore wind goals. This announcement follows a string of deals by GSL, including an agreement with Keystone Shipping Company to operate future shuttle vessels in the U.S. 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, is a leader in design and engineering for new build vessels. The company has designed a multi-purpose vessel known as the ‘swiss army knife’ vessel of the offshore wind industry in Europe for its extreme versatility and durability. GSL’s multi-purpose cargo vessel – the “Eleanor” model – will complement DEKC’s trusted European offshore wind vessel, which is widely used today. With an approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping, GSL’s “Eleanor” model is highly efficient with the ability to transport offshore wind components (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 percent. In fact, it will be the first vessel of its kind in the U.S. capable of transporting all of the components of a wind tower.
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 U.S. 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.
“We are honored to be working with DEKC Maritime and the rest of our talented team of professionals including: Voith, Cranemaster, Moran Iron Works, Keystone Shipping, and Navis Naval Management and Consultancy on bringing a tried-and-true Jones Act compliant solution to support U.S. offshore wind industry,” added Pyne. “Our standards follow what our European partners have established. Using their vast experience as our roadmap, our international team will help the U.S. realize its offshore wind goals,” he added.
GSL, headquartered in New Jersey, is focused on facilitating the economic construction of modern, fuel-efficient Jones Act vessels. GSL’s feeder vessels will provide the offshore wind industry a unique, economic multi-purpose solution, which can be used throughout the life cycle of an offshore wind installation. Following an extensive study that included examining U.S. 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 U.S. ports or manufacturing needs.
Source: Green Shipping Line