Offshore wind energy development injected $1.8 billion in new orders into shipyards across the country, supporting more than 3,000 jobs
For Immediate Release: November 19, 2024
Media Contact: Luke Jeanfreau | [email protected] | 504-302-8079
BALTIMORE — Oceantic Network recently released “Building America’s Offshore Wind Fleet,” a video that highlights the 21 shipyards across the U.S. that have answered the call to build and retrofit vessels for offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast. Already, these shipyards have seen $1.8 billion from over 50 orders, resulting in more than 3,000 well-paying jobs. This video is the second of its kind from Oceantic’s U.S. Offshore Wind Jobs Tour, an ongoing project documenting the American people and companies part of the 39-state offshore wind industry supply chain.
The video provides an up-close view of completed and in-progress vessels, as well as interviews with the skilled tradespeople and project managers building them. These shipyards are meeting critical vessel needs for the offshore wind industry, delivering bespoke new-build and retrofits for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a wind farm. St. Johns Ship Building in Palatka, Florida, and Senesco Marine in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, have constructed multiple crew transfer vessels (CTVs), and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, is building a Service Operation Vessel (SOV) for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Many of these shipyards have also achieved significant firsts for U.S. shipbuilding. In Philadelphia, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock is constructing The Acadia, the first U.S.-flagged, Jones Act-compliant, subsea rock installation vessel. And, in Louisiana, Edison Chouest Offshore constructed the ECO Edison, the first U.S.-built SOV for offshore wind. The vessel is now the flagship at Ørsted’s northeast projects: South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind.
The following statement can be attributed to Stephanie Francoeur, senior vice president of marketing and communications at Oceantic Network:
“U.S. offshore wind projects are supporting thousands of well-paying jobs in American shipbuilding, revitalizing this industry and preserving these local jobs and skills in U.S. communities. Shipbuilders with experience in the oil and gas sector are seeing incredible growth by addressing the offshore wind industry’s critical vessel shortage through both newbuild and retrofitted vessels. By scaling up to meet this demand domestically, they’ve engaged a 12-state steel and aluminum supply chain, broadening innovation, energy independence, and the economies of small towns and big cities.”
Additional Information:
- Building America’s Offshore Wind Fleet (Video)
- U.S. Offshore Wind Jobs Tour Videos (Full Playlist)
- A Shipyard Renaissance: Offshore Wind’s Economic Impact on American Maritime
- How Otto Candies Harnessed ‘Cajun Ingenuity’ to Meet Offshore Wind Vessel Needs
- The Gulf Effect: How Legacy Shipbuilder Edison Chouest Made U.S. Offshore Wind History
- U.S. Offshore Wind Jobs Tour
For more information or to arrange an interview with an Oceantic spokesperson, contact Luke Jeanfreau at [email protected] or 504-302-8079.
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As a non-profit organization, Oceantic Network strives to help businesses find success in offshore wind and other ocean renewable industries. We’re mobilizing governments, corporations, and organized labor to take advantage of the vast offshore wind and renewable energy resources that lie in the world’s oceans. The collective, coordinated efforts of our 400+ members are equipping American communities with the tools they need to accelerate the transition to clean energy and create economic opportunities. For more information about Oceantic membership, products and services, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.
