The first U.S.-flagged Jones Act offshore wind farm service operation vessel was christened and launched in a ceremony at the Port of New Orleans.

The ABS-classed ECO Edison was engineered and constructed by Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) for long-term charter to service offshore wind farms in the northeast United States.

ECO will operate the 80-meter-long vessel, which is capable of housing 70 passengers/wind turbine technicians. The SOV operates on diesel electric power meeting EPA Tier 4 emission standards and features a proprietary ECO Variable Frequency Drive to substantially reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

“ABS is committed to supporting the U.S. offshore wind industry, helping our partners and clients throughout the full life cycle of their projects. This is an exciting milestone not only for Edison Chouest but for domestic renewable energy production. ABS remains a trusted partner for offshore wind stakeholders by delivering advisory and technical review solutions that help minimize risk and enhance safety for offshore wind projects,” said Rob Langford, ABS Vice President, Global Offshore Wind.

Michael Braid, ECO Vice President for Renewable Energy, said: “ECO has enjoyed working with the ABS teams on over 190 newbuild vessel projects over the last 40 years and throughout that time both parties have enhanced the relationship year by year.  No matter if we have a simple project, or a technologically complex new project, such as the ECO EDISON and the upcoming Maersk ATBs, we know that ABS is there to fully support us in all phases of the project.”

As the leading provider of classification services for the global offshore industry, ABS is in a unique position to support the variety of new vessels serving the fixed and floating offshore wind farm turbine market, from wind turbine installation vessels, rock installation, service operation vessels and cable laying vessels to floating heavy lift construction vessels.