Offshore works at the Vineyard Wind 1 project in the US have begun for DEME. Its specialised floating offshore installation vessel Orion has successfully installed the first of 62 foundations.
Vineyard Wind 1 is the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the country and the first of several US wind farm projects in DEME’s portfolio.
Equipped with DP3 and a tailormade motion compensated gripper system, Orion is specifically designed for the installation of large monopile foundations.
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Transport and installation
DEME Offshore US is carrying out the transportation and installation of the monopile foundations, transition pieces, offshore substation and scour protection, as well as the offshore substation foundation and platform. Later, the company will also install the wind turbines.
‘After many years of preparation, the installation work for the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the US has officially kicked off,’ says Jan Klaassen, Director DEME Offshore US. ‘We are excited to start a new era in the US offshore wind market. This also marks a major milestone for our team based in Boston, the crew onboard Orion and the project team, as it is the first offshore wind farm we will build in US waters.’
According to Sid Florey, President DEME Offshore US, the company will work with local union workers who will participate in the installation work under the project labour agreement. In addition, local US vessels and crews are deployed for the mitigation of noise emissions, as well as marine mammal observations.
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