Huisman Secures Crane Contract for “Jones Act” with Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy Continues to Advance Development of First Jones Act Compliant Wind Turbine Installation Vessel
Dominion Energy announced it has selected the global firm Huisman to fabricate the crane to be used on the United States’ first Jones Act compliant offshore wind installation vessel. Huisman joins a consortium of offshore wind industry leaders led by Dominion Energy to build a Jones Act compliant vessel, which is strategically important to the U.S. offshore wind market.
“A Jones Act compliant offshore wind installation vessel is vital for the continued growth of the U.S. offshore wind industry,” said Mark D. Mitchell, Dominion Energy’s vice president of generation construction. “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.”
Huisman, with factories in four countries worldwide, has an extensive product portfolio in the offshore wind market. Its products range from handling tools, (fully motion compensated) pile grippers, and large capacity lightweight cranes. The crane for this installation vessel will be able to lift 2,200 tons and will enable the installation of the new generation state-of-the-art wind turbines.
“We are proud to contribute to Dominion Energy’s ambition to enable large scale offshore wind development in the United States and we are grateful for their trust in Huisman to deliver and install this crane,” said David Roodenburg, CEO of Huisman.
Dominion Energy announced in May it is leading a consortium to build a Jones Act compliant installation vessel and the company expects the vessel to be fully utilized on a pipeline exceeding 5 gigawatts of U.S. offshore wind construction though 2027, enabling the investment needed for this first of its kind vessel.
The vessel, which is likely to enter service in 2023, is expected to be based out of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia with a U.S. crew. This effort represents a significant step in developing a domestic manufacturing supply chain to support the multi-gigawatt opportunity for zero-carbon electricity generation in the waters off the coast of the United States.
The Jones Act is a federal law that regulates maritime commerce in the U.S. and requires goods shipped between U.S. ports to be transported on ships that are built, owned and operated by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Offshore wind generation is a vital part of Dominion Energy’s comprehensive clean energy strategy to meet standards outlined in the Virginia Clean Economy Act and to achieve the company’s net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions commitment by 2050.
In June, the company completed installation of the 12-megawatt, two turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project, located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Ocean surveys and geotechnical work are also underway for the 2,600-megawatt full scale CVOW project, which is located in a lease area adjacent to the pilot project. These surveys will support the development of the project’s Construction and Operations Plan to be submitted to BOEM later this year.
