• 4 min de lectura
• 4 min de lectura
A first-of-its-kind vessel, a rock installation vessel designed originally to focus on the emerging U.S. offshore wind energy industry, was delivered today, June 25, to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company by the Hanwha Philly Shipyard. The vessel, however, faces a different market, which has caused its owners to pivot to a new strategy.
Ordered in November 2021, it was hailed for the opportunities as the first Jones-Act compliant vessel of its kind. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock ordered the ship as part of a growth strategy to expand its well-established dredging business with new opportunities in the offshore market, but during the construction, the outlook for the industry changed dramatically.
The ship is state-of-the-art and, as such, will be able to pursue broader opportunities. Today, they highlighted that it is equipped to safely and efficiently transport and precisely place rock material on the seabed to protect subsea infrastructure, including cables and foundations for offshore wind. They also highlighted the opportunities with pipelines and the expansion of its deployment internationally.
Named Arcadia, the ship is 140 meters (460 feet) with a capacity to transport 20,000 metric tons of rocks. It is equipped with a DP-2 dynamic positioning system, which the company reports makes it accurate to a 65-meter (nearly 215-foot) depth. It has an advanced design, is biofuel-ready, has battery and shore power capabilities for when it is docked. It can accommodate up to 45 people.
"This highly specialized vessel positions us at the forefront of subsea rock installation in the U.S. and international markets," said Lasse Petterson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company. He highlighted that the vessel also marks a significant milestone for the company's strategic expansion into the offshore energy sector, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Arcadia is the only vessel of her kind built in the U.S. (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.)
Following delivery, Acadia will mobilize to begin work on Equinor's Empire Wind 1 project offshore New York. Upon completion, the vessel is expected to proceed directly to Ørsted's Sunrise Wind project, also located offshore New York. Other U.S. contracts, including Empire Wind II, did not materialize as the Trump administration has sought to shut down the offshore wind sector. As such, Great Lakes reports that upon completion of the two U.S. projects, the Acadia will mobilize to Europe to begin rock installation for a major offshore wind developer, keeping the vessel utilized for the majority of 2027.
"This delivery of Acadia represents far more than the completion of a vessel," said David Kim, CEO of Hanwha Philly Shipyard. He points out that the project demonstrates the yard's capability to deliver highly specialized vessels that support critical infrastructure.
The project was one of the legacy contracts that Hanwha took over after acquiring the yard. The project, however, was fraught with delays and disputes between the companies, including a lawsuit in late 2024 by Great Lakes. The company had originally said the vessel was expected to be sea-ready by Q4 2024. In the suit, it was reported that the yard had communicated an "estimated delivery date of September 30, 2026."
Hanwha Philly Shipyard highlights the project as one of the legacy contracts that it is completing. It still has two training vessels to deliver for MARAD. The Lone Star State recently completed sea trials and is expected to be delivered before the end of the summer, while work is progressing on the training ship for California. The shipyard also has assembly now underway on two of the three Matson-ordered containerships. Matson expects to receive the first new vessel in the first quarter of 2027, with subsequent deliveries in the third quarter of 2027 and the second quarter of 2028.
The yard continues to look to position itself with the anticipated revival of American shipbuilding with Korean investments. It has already been linked to projects for its sister company Hanwha Shipping, which ordered 10 medium range (MR) oil and chemical tankers last year and ordered the outfitting of an LNG-carrier, which would be the first ordered in the U.S. in many years. The vessel would be for the U.S. export market, as it will be using a Korean-built ship.
Fuente: Maritime Executive
