U.S. Offshore Wind: GLDD Orders Huisman Rock Installation Equipment for Newbuild Vessel

U.S.-based Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company (GLDD) has ordered rock installation equipment from the Dutch company Huisman.

The equipment will be installed on the GLDD's newbuild rock installation vessel, which will support the development of offshore wind in the U.S.

Huisman said it has optimized the equipment for installing scour protection necessary for offshore wind applications. 

This includes, for example, filter and armor layers for foundations, which it can install pre- or post foundation installation. It can also install cable protection for both inter-array and export cables. 

For the GLDD project, Huisman will cooperate with TME, designer and producer of bespoke equipment for the offshore, bulk, asphalt, and concrete industries, utilizing its rock transportation technology in the form of a plate feeder, shakers and hoppers.

Delivery of the rock installation equipment is scheduled for the first half of 2024.

The vessel

GLDD ordered the rock installation vessel from Philly Shipyard in November 2021. The basic design is by Ulstein, a Norwegian/Dutch designer of offshore wind vessels. 

The Subsea Rock Installation Vessel, worth $197 million, is designed to carry up to 20,000 MT of rock and will transport and strategically deposit these rocks to the ocean bottom, laying a foundation for the monopiles which serve as the prevailing support structure for offshore wind turbines.

The ship will have an overall length of 140.5 meters (461 feet), a breadth of 34.1 meters (112 feet), and crew accommodations for 45 people. It will be U.S. owned, U.S. built, U.S. operated, and crewed by American union workers, and will meet all conditions of the Jones Act. The delivery for the vessel is expected in Q4 2024