Fincantieri is taking further steps into the US offshore wind farm support sector, having secured a contract to build a service operation vessel (SOV) for Crest Wind – a joint venture formed between US-based Crowley and Denmark’s Esvagt in 2021. The forthcoming vessel will be chartered by Siemens Ganesa and used to support Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) site. Located some 43km off Virginia Beach, this site is expected to generate 2.6GW, which will power an estimated 660,000 US homes.
The SOV will measure 87.8m in length and accommodate up to 80 persons, including crew and wind farm technicians. The vessel will be constructed at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding yard in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin in compliance with Jones Act restrictions, and is expected to enter service in 2026, coinciding with completion of the CVOW site. Esvagt has supplied the SOV’s design, which will include a motion-compensated gangway and individual cabins for personnel.
Fincantieri has 10 commissioning SOVs (CSOVs) on its books, mainly on build for the European market and arranged through its Vard subsidiary. Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri, says he intends his company to become a “prime mover in the sector of offshore wind support vessels”, adding: “The push for decarbonisation will further strengthen our industrial competitive positioning and the distinctiveness of our business model.” Meanwhile, Crest Wind is looking to amass a dedicated offshore support vessel fleet capable of expanding its contract opportunities in US waters.
