New details have been released on the United States’ first Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), which is seen as critical to developing the nation’s offshore wind industry. The newbuild vessel is currently under construction at the Keppel AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville. The 472-foot vessel is designed by GustoMSC to handle turbines of 12 megawatt or greater. It will also be capable of the installation of foundations for turbines and other heavy lifts. Dominion Energy is in the process of developing the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, a 2,600 megawatt commercial offshore wind farm that is set to become the largest in the United States. Part of the project includes a 12MW pilot project, 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, that is expected to become the first in US federal waters.
