Huisman Crane for First Jones Act Wind Turbine Installation Vessel

Dutch offshore equipment provider Huisman has signed a contract with Keppel AmFELS for the delivery of a Leg Encircling Crane (LEC) for what will be the first Jones Act-compliant wind turbine installation vessel - Dominion Energy’s Charybdis.

As reported recently, Dominion Energy contracted with Keppel AmFELS, a U.S. subsidiary of Singapore's Keppel for the engineering, procurement, and construction of the vessel, which is designed by NOV business unit GustoMSC. Construction kicked off last week.

Providing info on the crane it is set to deliver for the vessel which will serve the growing offshore wind market in the US, Huisman said: "With a 2,200mt lifting capacity, its lightweight design, 130m long boom but yet the compact house, this crane is unique and ideal for the installation of next generation offshore wind turbines and foundations."

"The Huisman crane will ensure that Dominion Energy’s Charybdis will be fit-for-purpose for the installation of large-scale offshore wind developments in the U.S. With several gigawatts of offshore wind capacity to be installed along the East Coast in the next decade, access to Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessels is of strategic importance to the American offshore wind market," the company said.

For this project, Huisman will implement the same technology used for the LEC for Seajacks’ offshore wind installation vessel Scylla.

The crane is scheduled for delivery in 2023, with Huisman North America, based in Rosenberg (Texas), planning to commission and test it at the Keppel AmFELS yard in Brownsville (Texas).  

Mark D. Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Project Construction at Dominion Energy: “A Jones Act compliant offshore wind installation vessel is vital for the continued growth of the U.S. offshore wind industry. Huisman is a global leader and brings years of experience to this venture and will further enable the offshore wind industry to bring clean, renewable energy to customers in the U.S.”

Features the Huisman Leg Encircling Crane, as shared by Huisman:

• A fully electrically driven system, resulting in high positioning accuracy, reduced maintenance and higher reliability.
• A unique Lambda boom design ensuring a lightweight and stiff design.
• Stiff construction of the Lambda shaped boom leading to reduced motion at the crane tip.
• Small tail swing allowing for optimized utilization of free deck space.