US company Green Shipping Line (GSL) has teamed up with the Dutch marine vessel engineer DEKC Maritime to pursue Jones Act compliant offshore wind vessel solutions in the US.

DEKC Maritime has designed a multi-purpose vessel known as the “Swiss army knife” vessel for the European offshore wind industry. GSL’s multi-purpose cargo vessel Eleanor will complement DEKC’s European vessel model, which is widely used today. 

With approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping, GSL said its vessel will be the first of its kind in the US capable of transporting all of the components of a wind tower from a port to installation sites in a two-day cycle, cutting down on costs and production time by over 40%.

The vessel, which measures 110.9 meters in length, can also be configured for rock dumping, scour protection, and offshore accommodation, the New Jersey-based GSL said.

Fully Jones Act compliant, the Eleanor will be built in the US at the Moran Iron Works Shipyard in Onaway Michigan and operated by Keystone Shipping Company as soon as mid-2023.

“DEKC’s extensive knowledge and capabilities provide GSL with an ideal partner to design our fleet of modern Jones Act feeder vessels, including our flagship Eleanor model,” said Percy R. Pyne IV, founding partner of GSL.