Following a contract award from Equinor and BP in the United States, Maersk Supply Service, a subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk, will build its first offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV).
SembCorp Marine in Singapore will construct the vessel, with a steel-cutting ceremony scheduled for later this year. The ship will be delivered in 2025.
Maersk Supply Service made the investment after being given a contract by Equinor and BP to install turbines for the Empire 1 and 2 wind farms off the coast of New York state, in collaboration with US partner Kirby Corporation. Since 2019, Maersk Supply Service has been working on a unique design for a Wind Installation Vessel, according to the company. The vessel will be designed to use feeder vessels to supply components, a method that will be 30% more efficient than using conventional jack-up vessels, according to Maersk Supply Service. The ABS-classed vessel will feature a patented load transfer system allowing for the safe transfer of cargo. Two newbuild tugs and barges will transport wind turbine components from shore to the Wind Installation Vessel, which will remain on location offshore to carry out successive installations.
