DEME Offshore US has entered into a long-term agreement with Barge Master to develop motion compensation technology that will be deployed in a feeder concept for the Vineyard Wind 1 project – the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the USA.
In 2021, DEME Offshore US secured a transport and installation contract for the 62 GE Haliade offshore wind turbines for the Vineyard Wind 1 project, which is located off the coast of Massachusetts. In addition to the installation of the turbines, DEME Offshore will also handle the transportation and installation of the monopile foundations, transition pieces, offshore substation and scour protection for the wind turbine foundations, as well as the offshore substation foundation and platform.
DEME Offshore US is partnering Foss Maritime in the development of the smart feeder barge concept to ensure that it is fully compliant with the Jones Act. The five-year agreement with Dutch company Barge Master will support this, deploying four motion compensation platforms on the US-flagged Foss Maritime barges.
This solution will enable the wind turbine components to be transported from US ports to DEME’s specialised offshore installation vessels. When arriving alongside the installation vessel the Barge Master motion compensation technology ensures safe lifting operations. The barges will also be towed and pushed by US-flagged tugs.
Barge Master director, Martijn Koppert, said: “We are providing the most competitive feeder solution in the market by utilising proven technology. By combining our motion compensated feeder platforms with existing US maritime equipment and DEME Offshore’s jack-up vessels, the capex and opex are kept low when compared to other concepts. We are confident this feedering solution is perfect for the US offshore wind market today, as well as for other large-scale wind farms in the future.”
DEME Offshore US, Foss Maritime and Barge Master are set to launch the concept in spring 2023.
