First Barge with Barge Master Technology Delivers GE Haliade-X WTG to DEME Group’s Sea Installer on Vineyard Wind 1 OWF

Yesterday Vineyard Wind shipped the first GE Haliade-X Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) from the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal to its location more than 30 miles (48.28km) off the coast of Cape Cod.

“It may look easy, but the safe transportation of these components miles over the open water is no small feat,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus S. Moeller.

“While we’ve had many firsts, once this turbine is installed, it will stand as a proud symbol of American’s energy transition. I want to thank all of our partners for their continued collaboration and look forward to celebrating the progress of our industry.”

Foss Maritime, a US service contractor that provides union jobs for its employees, has partnered with DEME Offshore US to design and build highly specialized US-flagged barges to transport the components to the lease area.  The Marmac in New Bedford, Mass., and the Foss Prevailing Wind in Boston, both 400-feet-long, are the only two barges in existence capable of transporting in an upright position GE’s massive Haliade-X turbine components that when constructed will rise more than 700 feet (213.26m).

The barges utilize a specially designed Barge Master technology that uses a patented control system and cylinders that support a platform and actively compensate the motions of the barge. The wind turbine components are fastened to the motion compensated platform for a smooth ride in ocean conditions.

GE will initially load the U.S.-flagged Marmac from the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal with three vertically placed tower sections reaching more than 200 feet (61m) in height, three 321-foot-long blades (97.8m) and a nacelle pod that houses the generating components. Foss will deliver loads weighing more than 1,700 tons (1542t) each, to construction partner DEME Group’s Sea Installer vessel with 300-foot-deep legs (91.44m) stationed 65 miles (104.6km) from New Bedford south of Martha’s Vineyard.

“Over the past year, we have achieved significant milestones in the development of Avangrid’s Vineyard Wind 1, but the installation of the project’s first turbine stands as a singular landmark for offshore wind, clean energy, and climate action in the United States,” said Avangrid CEO Pedro Azagra. “We are proud that local union labor will pioneer the installation of the massive GE turbines that will harness the winds off the shores of Massachusetts to power more than 400,000 homes and businesses across the Commonwealth.”

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