Vineyard Wind Partners with Local Businesses on Crew Transfer Vessels

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), today announced the signing of a charter for a Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) with Patriot Offshore Maritime Services, a Massachusetts company.

Patriot will construct the CTV at Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding in Somerset, Massachusetts.  Gladding-Hearn is an established shipyard with more than 65 years of experience in the construction of high speed, aluminum crafts.  The 27-meter CTV will be based on a proven catamaran design by Incat Crowther and will be capable of carrying up to 24 technicians and personnel.  Vineyard’s selection of the Patriot and Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding team will optimize the local content benefits of the Vineyard Wind project to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“We are excited to have a Massachusetts company like Patriot on the Vineyard team and proud to support local jobs in Massachusetts through the employment of local maritime labor,” said Klaus Skoust Moeller, CEO of Vineyard Wind. “These vessels will not only serve a critical role in both construction and operation and maintenance for our project but will also help to launch a new industry that will create jobs and reduce carbon pollution.”

Upon delivery during mid–2023, the CTV will be deployed directly into construction, transporting essential personnel and equipment in support of the project.  Vineyard also has the option to charter additional CTVs from Patriot as part of their marine logistic strategy.  In addition to the Patriot vessel, Vineyard Wind has also signed a contract with American Offshore Services for a second CTV that will be built by Blount Boats in Rhode Island.  The U.S. flagged CTVs will be fully Jones Act compliant and will be manned and operated by locally sourced maritime union labor during the construction phase of the project.

“We are honored that Vineyard selected Patriot to provide this CTV for its first US commercial offshore wind project,” said Michael Landry, President of Patriot.  “We are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

“The development of offshore wind in the U.S. is creating jobs and new business opportunities for maritime companies like Patriot, and we’re proud to work with local labor to build the nation-leading Vineyard Wind project,” said Bill White, President & CEO of Avangrid Renewables, Offshore. “Drawing from skilled and experienced maritime services in Massachusetts is a win-win for our project and local workers, and represents another important step in this growing American industry.”

The vessel will initially hail from New Bedford and other Massachusetts ports during construction of Vineyard Wind 1 and then be based in Vineyard Haven during the project’s Operation & Management phase.

Vineyard Wind, an 800-megawatt project located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, will generate electricity for more than 400,000 homes and businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, create 3,600 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) job years, save customers $1.4 billion over the first 20 years of operation, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually.

Vineyard Wind 1 will begin delivering clean energy to Massachusetts in 2023.