Edison Chouest to run hybrid operations vessel for Empire Wind in New York

A joint venture between Equinor and bp has awarded the first plug-in hybrid service operations vessel (SOV) with batter capability in the US to marine transportation provider Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO), the company said on Friday.

Empire Offshore Wind chose ECO for the service at the new Empire Wind offshore wind farm in the US. The vessel is part of a long-term SOV charter agreement with Empire Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Equinor and bp developing the wind farm near Long Island.

The US-flagged vessel will be Jones Act compliant and have its home port at the new operations base that Empire Wind will develop at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in New York, the company said in a statement. It will be constructed with components from Edison Chouest's US supplier base, it said.

“With the first of its kind, plug-in hybrid service operations vessel, Empire Wind will reduce potential emissions from our operations in the New York City area,” Teddy Muhlfelder, Vice President, Empire Wind and Beacon Wind, Equinor, said in a statement.

“This is another critical step forward in the development of the offshore wind industry while helping achieve critical state and federal climate goals,” he said.

The agreement is important since the plug-in hybrid vessel will be the first in the US capable of sailing on battery power for some part of the route. It will sail into the port at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal on battery power, recharge the battery using shore power, and sail out of New York Harbor, Empire Offshore Wind said. The hybrid vessel will be certified to “tier 4 emissions standards,” achieving the highest standard for marine applications.

The charter agreement has a fixed period of 10 years starting in the mid-2020s. The vessel will accommodate up to 60 wind turbine technicians and will be used for the operations and maintenance of the Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2 offshore wind farms.