The two companies will work in tandem to strengthen the U.S. offshore wind industry supply chain and provide economic benefits and job creation to our local communities
Boston, May 8, 2019 — Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind, and WindServe Marine, LLC, a premier offshore wind support services provider, have entered into a partnership to construct two purpose-built offshore Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs), which will transport personnel for construction, maintenance, and operation from port to offshore wind farms.
The first CTV will be built by U.S. Workboats in Hubert, North Carolina and utilized for Ørsted’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, followed by subsequent service on Northeast projects. The second CTV will be built by WindServe’s affiliate shipyard, Senesco Marine, in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, specifically for Ørsted’s and Eversource’s Revolution Wind project located off the southern New England coast.
“Choosing WindServe to build our CTVs at Senesco will provide locally built vessels and a local operator for the domestic offshore wind industry,” said Thomas Brostrøm, President and CEO of Ørsted North America. “WindServe Marine’s experience with Jones Act vessel operations and full service shipyard fabrication, coupled with their dedication to the future of green energy, make them a great partner as we expand operations along the East Coast.”.
The CTVs will be a high-speed, custom design from BMT Group, a leading international design, engineering, science and risk management consultancy, built specifically for East Coast sea conditions. BMT has extensive offshore wind experience and a large portfolio of offshore wind vessels, with 49 CTVs currently operating in Europe. This state-of-the-art design is one of the most comfortable and versatile in the industry. Classed by DNV-GL, a leading provider of risk management and quality assurance services, these CTVs will meet the highest of build standards needed in the offshore wind industry.
“With over 95 years of experience in the maritime industry, we are committed to offering premier offshore wind support services to the East Coast and look forward to contributing to the future of offshore wind growth,” said Craig Reinauer, President and CEO of the Reinauer Group. “Thanks to Ørsted, this partnership between two global leaders in the offshore wind industry will provide new, sustainable jobs for U.S. workers”.
The first CTV is already under construction with delivery anticipated early next year. U.S. Workboats specializes in aluminum catamaran construction and has experience in full-service construction of high-speed ferries, pleasure boats, fishing vessels, research vessels and a variety of other aluminum workboats. The shipyard’s 160,000 square foot indoor fabrication building enables it to deliver multiple vessels a year with staggered build schedules.
Construction of the second CTV will commence in late 2020. Senesco Marine has been constructing state-of-the art vessels, including articulated tug and barge (ATB) units, escort tugs, deck barges and floating dry-docks for over 15 years, and its Quonset Point, Rhode Island facility employs hundreds of local skilled employees. The facility offers 220,000 square feet of indoor fabrication space, with a fully segregated aluminum manufacturing area. Ørsted’s order of these new CTVs will help create and sustain in-state jobs for over 40 local tradespeople, engineers and managers.
Ørsted is currently collaborating with Dominion Energy and is in the process of constructing the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Revolution Wind is a partnership between Ørsted and Eversource, New England’s premier transmission builder, and is expected to be commissioned in 2023.
About Ørsted
The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, bioenergy plants and innovative waste-to-energy solutions and provides smart energy products to its customers. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs 6,080 people. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2018, the group’s revenue was DKK 76.9 billion (EUR 10.7 billion). For more information on Ørsted, visit orsted.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
About WindServe Marine, LLC
WindServe Marine is an offshore wind support services company, committed to providing excellence in all stages of the offshore wind farm lifecycle and supporting industry stakeholders in project commencement and construction, operations and maintenance, and logistics. WindServe is a part of the Reinauer Group, a privately-held group of U.S. companies operating in a variety of marine business lines. For more information about WindServe and its affiliates, please visit windservemarine.com.
