The semi-submersible crane vessel (SSCV) Thialf , the second-largest vessel of this kind in the world, has arrived in the US. The SSCV, which was deployed on oil and gas projects in the US several years ago, has now returned to the country to work on Equinor’s offshore wind farm in the federal waters off New York, Empire Wind 1.
According to local media and social media posts, Thialf sailed into Narragansett Bay on 26 May, and according to the marine traffic data available online, the SSCV is in the port of Fort Wetherill State/Jamestown, Rhode Island.
Thialf’s engagement in the Empire Wind 1 construction stems from the strategic supplier agreement the vessel owner and operator, Heerema Marine Contractors, signed with the joint venture between Equinor and BP in 2022. Empire Wind is today owned solely by Equinor, while BP owns the former joint venture’s Beacon Wind development .
First foundations at the Empire Wind 1 project site off New York are expected to be installed soon, as the installation vessel is now in US waters and the project was cleared to resume construction activities after it was halted last month amid preparation work that precedes the installation of monopiles.
The foundations for the 810 MW offshore wind farm are manufactured by Sif.
Sif rolled out the first monopile for Empire Wind 1 at its new factory in the Netherlands in November 2024 and has so far produced 30 of the total 54 monopiles and all primary steel for the transition pieces for the US project.
Empire Wind 1 will comprise 54 Vestas 15 MW turbines, which are planned to be installed using Maersk’s new Wind Installation Vessel (WIV) that was recently launched to sea at Seatrium’s shipyard in Singapore.
Located 25-48 kilometres southeast of Long Island, the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm is planned to produce first power in late 2026, with full commissioning in 2027. With a generation capacity of 810 MW, the offshore wind farm will power 500,000 New York City households, according to Equinor.