Gulf Coast Region Enhances US Offshore Wind Industry

An offshore wind service operations vessel (SOV) is being constructed in Louisiana. Senior executives from offshore wind companies Ørsted and Eversource recently toured the Edison Chouest Offshore shipyard to observe the progress on the 262-foot-long SOV.

The U.S.-flagged ECO EDISON has reached the 50% completion milestone, with over 275,000 work hours logged and no lost-time accidents. Once operational, the vessel will contribute to renewable energy production in the United States.

Ørsted Group EVP and CEO Americas David Hardy and Eversource VP of Business Development Mike Ausere met with members of the Chouest family and some of the 400 local workers building the SOV. The associated stimulation of the offshore wind energy industry creates jobs and stimulates economic development across multiple states.

The ECO EDISON is being constructed at ECO in-house shipyards in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, supporting hundreds of jobs, with components sourced from 34 states. The vessel is expected to be christened in 2024 and will play a role in the operation and maintenance of Ørsted and Eversource's Revolution Wind, South Fork Wind, and Sunrise Wind projects. These projects aim to generate over 1.7 GW of offshore wind energy. The vessel will serve as a floating, year-round home base for 60 American offshore wind turbine technicians. It will be stationed in Port Jefferson, New York.