Credit: Huisman
U.S.-based GreatLakes Dredge & Dock Company(GLDD) has orderedrock installation equipment from the Dutch company Huisman.
The equipment willbe installed on theGLDD’snewbuildrockinstallation vessel,which will support thedevelopment of offshore wind in the U.S.
Huismansaid ithasoptimizedtheequipmentfor installing scour protection necessaryfor offshore wind applications.
Thisincludes, for example,filter and armor layersfor foundations, whichit caninstallpre–orpost foundationinstallation. It can also installcable protectionfor bothinter-array and exportcables.
Forthe GLDD project, Huisman will cooperatewithTME, designer and producer ofbespoke equipment for the offshore, bulk, asphalt, andconcrete industries, utilizingitsrock transportationtechnology in the form of aplate feeder,shakers and hoppers.
Delivery of therockinstallationequipmentis scheduledforthefirsthalf of2024.
The vessel
GLDD ordered the rockinstallation vessel from Philly Shipyard in November 2021.The basic design is by Ulstein, a /Dutch designer of offshore wind vessels.
The Subsea Rock Installation Vessel, worth $197 million, is designed to carry up to 20,000 MT of rock and will transport and strategically deposit these rocks to the ocean bottom, laying a foundation for the monopiles which serve as the prevailing support structure for offshore wind turbines.
The ship will have an overall length of 140.5 meters (461 feet), a breadth of 34.1 meters (112 feet), and crew accommodations for 45 people. It will be U.S. owned, U.S. built, U.S. operated, and crewed by American union workers, and will meet all conditions of the Jones Act. The delivery for the vessel is expected in Q4 2024
