Damen unveils US-focused design

NETHERLANDS: Dutch shipbuilder Damen has unveiled a new crew transfer vessel designed with the US offshore wind market in mind.

Damen said local US partners will build the vessel to comply with Jones Act requirements

Its Fast Crew Supplier 3410 accommodation and transfer vessel uses Damen's twin hull design to improve its movement through the water.

It will also be able to spend several days at sea, Damen said, which is a "requirement typically seen in US operations", the company's US sales manager Daan Dijxhoorn said.

Dijxhoorn said the vessel was six meters longer than previous models to accommodate extra people and resources for an extended stay at sea.

The US offshore wind project vessel must comply with strict criteria set out in the Jones Act. Damen said the new vessel will be built in the US by local partners – one of the requirements of the act.

Damen is hoping to tap in to the burgeoning offshore wind industry. Several eastern states have held procurement rounds, and the US could see as much as 5GW of offshore capacity installed by 2025.

Last month, wind service provider Aeolus Energy and Dutch shipbuilders Ulstein Design & Solutions announced plans to design a service operations vessel (SOV) for the US.