The first Subsea Rock Installation Vessel (SRIV) in the United States built by Hanwha Philly Shipyard is scheduled to be launched in July this year. The vessel was originally scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2024, but it was delayed for some reason. With the completion of Hanwha Group’s acquisition of Philly Shipyard, the vessel construction progress has been accelerated and the delivery problem has been resolved.
On June 19, the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD), a US dredging services provider, announced on social media that the US’s first subsea rock installation vessel, the Acadia, has completed preparations for its launch in July.
The Acadia was built in accordance with the Jones Act of the United States. GLDD signed a shipbuilding contract with Hanwha Philly Shipyard (formerly Philly Shipyard) in January 2021, with three options attached. This is the shipyard’s first shipbuilding contract in the field of offshore wind power in the United States. The cost of the first confirmed order is US$197 million.
On July 20, 2023, the “Acadia” was officially kicked off at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. It was originally scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2024, but has now been postponed. After delivery, it will be put into GLDD’s offshore rock installation operations in the United States.
The vessel was designed by UlSTEIN, with a total length of 140.5 meters, a width of 34.1 meters, and a capacity for 45 crew members. It is classified by the American Bureau of Shipping and can carry 20,000 metric tons of rock. It is equipped with a side-throwing system for laying scour protection for offshore wind farm foundations, cables, and other structures.
GLDD was awarded a rock installation contract for an offshore wind project on the East Coast of the United States in 2023. GLDD’s project execution scope includes sourcing rock from the U.S. supply chain, transporting it to the project site, and performing subsea rock installation for wind farm infrastructure support.
It is understood that the Philly Shipyard was established in 1997. Its predecessor was the Philly National Shipyard of the U.S. Navy. It covers an area of 480,000 square meters and has the largest dock in the United States. It specializes in building merchant vessels for coastal transportation. About 50% of the large merchant vessels in the United States that comply with the Jones Act come from this shipyard, including tankers and container ships. At the end of 2024, Hanwha Group completed the acquisition of the Philly Shipyard for approximately US$100 million and announced that it would be renamed Hanwha Philly Shipyard.
As of now, Hanwha Philly Shipyard’s orders include three National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs), one subsea rock installation vessel and three container ships.