A Netherlands-flagged and owned tug was reported to have crossed the Atlantic and performed at least one job on a US offshore wind farm,according to the Offshore Marine Services Association (OMSA).
If this turns out to be true, it would appear to be contrary to expectations that the Jones Act workboat sector would have exclusive access to tug-and-tow contracts for offshore wind projects on the US continental shelf.
While it had been generally accepted that the Jones Act could not be enforced for the full scope of turbine installation, it had been assumed that the Jones Act – which requires the use of US-owned, flagged, and crewed vessels – would apply for all towage and support.
OMSA identified the vessel in question as the Norne (IMO 9612806), one of two anchor handlers owned and operated by Dutch firm Koerts International Towage.
The 400 gt Norne normally moves around the North Sea and the Mediterranean, but in mid-October it made an unusual trip across the North Atlantic, arriving off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island on October 20th, before heading into port at Providence, RI, later that day.
OMSA claimed that the Norne was used to reposition anchors for operations for the Vineyard Wind project, and that this was contrary to past promises that workboat jobs would be reserved for Jones Act tonnage.
OMSA President Aaron Smith, said that “offshore wind developers were just handed a multi-billion dollar tax credit from US taxpayers and Vineyard Wind turns around and gives those dollars to Dutch vessel owners and foreign mariners. American offshore energy should mean American jobs and opportunity”. He claimed that there were some 2,000 US tugs with American crews available, but that Vineyard Wind had instead hired the Norne “for a minor, everyday role while American mariners sit idly by”.
Vineyard Wind is the first full-scale offshore wind farm to start construction on the US.
OMSA’s American Offshore Worker Fairness Act (AOWFA) would require foreign vessels to use either US mariners or citizens of the vessel’s flag state while operating in offshore energy activities in US waters, preventing the general practice of flagging with an open registry and then hiring from a variety of lower-wage international labour markets. All foreign workers would be required to secure a TWIC, among other administrative changes.
OMSA said that “closing this loophole will greatly assist American mariners and US companies participating in both the offshore oil and gas and offshore wind industries”.
2011-built, Netherlands-flagged, 422 gt Norne is owned by Koerts R care of manager Koerst International Towage of Farmsum, Netherlands. It is entered with Shipowners’ Club on behalf of Koerts ITS.
