Green Shipping Line partners with DEKC on Jones Act offshore wind vessels

GSL’s multi-functional “Eleanor” model will be able to operate out of all regional ports along the United States’ East Coast.

Fair Haven, N.J., based Green Shipping Line (GSL) has signed a teaming agreement with Groningen, Netherlands, based DEKC Maritime (DEKC) to create Jones Act compliant offshore wind vessel solutions in the United States.

GSL says this follows a number of earlier deals it has concluded,, including an agreement with Keystone Shipping Company to operate future shuttle vessels in the U.S. offshore wind market and a teaming agreement with Moran Iron Works to construct future vessels.

“DEKC’s extensive knowledge and capabilities provide GSL with an ideal partner to design our fleet of modern Jones Act feeder vessels, including our flagship Eleanor model” said Percy R. Pyne IV, founding partner of GSL. “This agreement furthers our ability to provide efficient, proven, green solutions for offshore wind developers and component manufacturers in the U.S.”

GSL says that DEKC Maritime has designed a multi-purpose vessel that’s known as the “swiss army knife”vessel of the offshore wind industry in Europe for its extreme versatility and durability. GSL says its multi-purpose cargo vessel—the Eleanor model—will complement DEKC’s trusted European design. With an approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping, GSL’s “Eleanor” will be ihighly efficient with the ability to transport offshore wind components (towers, nacelles and blades) from a port to installation sites in a two-day cycle, cutting down on costs and production time by over 40 percent. GSL says that it will be the first vessel of its kind in the U.S. capable of transporting all of the components of a wind tower.

The 364-foot multipurpose vessel can also be configured to perform rock dumping, scour protection, and offshore accommodation. Fully Jones Act compliant, the Eleanor will be built in the U.S. at the Moran Iron Works shipyard in Onaway Michigan and operated by Keystone Shipping Company. It will be flagged American and manned by an American crew and can operate out of all the regional ports along the Unites States’ East Coast due to its unique dimensions and draft. The Eleanor model will be available for delivery as soon as mid-2023.

“We look forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise with GSL and helping develop their fleet. Our aim is to take the experience we have gathered over the past decade in offshore wind and utilize it to provide the best vessels and solutions for the emerging U.S. offshore wind market,” said Cor Lettenga, managing girector of DEKC Maritime.

“We are honored to be working with DEKC Maritime and the rest of our talented team of professionals including: Voith, Cranemaster, Moran Iron Works, Keystone Shipping, and Navis Naval Management and Consultancy on bringing a tried-and-true Jones Act compliant solution to support the U.S. offshore wind industry,” said Pyne. “Our standards follow what our European partners have established. Using their vast experience as our roadmap, our international team will help the U.S. realize its offshore wind goals.”