Maersk Offshore Wind's Installation Vessel Launched in Singapore

Maersk Offshore Wind’s installation vessel marked a milestone with the float out of the unique ship from the Seatrium shipyard in Singapore. The vessel is being built as part of the group’s efforts to develop the offshore wind sector, but conceived with the U.S. market as its target, it is unclear how the vessel will be deployed.

The ship is designed to be positioned at the offshore wind farm development site and be fed by two specially designed barges carrying the material and brought to the site by tugs. The WTIV has a stabilizing system to hold the barges for the transfer of materials. The company has promoted that this would improve installation efficiency by up to 30 percent and critically would make the system compliant with the U.S. Jones Act which limits coastal operations for foreign vessels. Maersk’s WTIV will be registered in Denmark.

Maersk Supply Services announced the order for the vessel in 2023 to be built by the yard then known as Sembcorp Marine due for delivery into U.S. waters in 2025. As part of the plan, the company was working with Kirby which at the time said it planned to invest between $80 and $100 million for the construction of the two barges and tugs as part of the feeder system. Edison Chouest Offshore stepped in during 2024 announcing it would build the tugs and barges for the installation system at the Bollinger Shipyards.

The installation vessel, which is approximately 475 feet (145 meters) in length was floated from the building dock and repositioned to the outfitting berth Maersk reports. There it will be fitted with its cranes, the largest of which will have a lifting capacity of 1,900 tonnes and the ability to reach up to 590 feet (180 meters) above the deck. Maersk has highlighted in the past the vessel would be capable of handling the largest offshore wind turbines. It will have 100 cabins and a walk-to-work gangway.

Investment company A.P. Moller Holding in 2023 acquired Maersk Supply Services which included the offshore wind business. A year later, however, it sold the majority of Maersk Supply Services to DOF but retained the offshore wind business which was launched as Maersk Offshore Wind.

The installation vessel’s first assignment was for the Empire Wind offshore wind farm being developed by Equinor. The project was underway when the Trump administration in mid-April issued a stop-work order for offshore construction. It said it would be reviewing the permitting claiming it had been rushed by the Biden administration.

Equinor has said if the project which was fully permitted is stopped it would be libel to repay $1.5 billion for the equity commitments to the project financing. It said the project has a book value of around $2.5 billion and it could also be exposed to termination fees towards its suppliers. Equinor is complying with the U.S. order but called it “unlawful” and said it is reviewing steps including possible legal action.

Maersk Offshore Wind in April predicted future growth for its business and foresaw ordering additional vessels. With the U.S. market likely stalled, however, it will have to look to Europe and other areas that continue to move for with their offshore wind projects.