US-based Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT) has ordered six Chartwell-designed Ambitious-class crew transfer vessels (CTVs).
The Ambitious-class is Chartwell’s flagship CTV design, said AWT, comprising a 25.2 metre aluminium catamaran with a capacity to transport 24 personnel to and from wind turbines.
“The US offshore wind market is expanding rapidly, and AWT’s pioneering vision to support this growth aligns well with our own ambition to bring versatile, high-performance crew transfer vessels to the markets that need them most. With its performance and versatility, the Ambitious delivers on the needs of the growing US market”, said Andy Page , Director and Naval Architect at Chartwell Marine.
All six boats will be built by St. Johns Ship Building at its shipyard in Palatka, Florida, with the first two vessels expected to be delivered in Summer 2023 and January 2024 respectively, with four further builds in the pipeline.
The vessels will be the first US-built CTVs to be compliant with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 regulations, which rank among the most stringent emissions rules for marine engines in the world, AWT said.
The Jones Act-compliant vessels, certified under US Coast Guard Subchapter L, will be able to operate on any wind farm in the US up to 150 miles offshore, under the Safety and Inspection standards of the US Coast Guard.
AWT operates the only two CTVs in the US under long-term contracts, servicing the Block Island Wind Farm and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm.
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