Massive wind turbine installation vessel plans visit to New London
Jul. 20—NEW LONDON — In Greek mythology, Scylla and Charybdis were sea creatures that preyed on unsuspecting mariners.
They are also the names of two monster offshore wind installation vessels. One of them, the 459-foot-long Wind Scylla, is headed to New London.
On July 23, the wind turbine installation vessel is expected to dock at State Pier for two days to pick up crews and supplies associated with Ørsted and Eversource's Revolution Wind offshore wind project.
Scylla is owned by Cadeler, a Copenhagen, Denmark-based company that has a fleet of offshore wind installation vessels and inked a long-term contract with Ørsted earlier this year for future projects.
Wind Scylla has a 1,500-foot crane and 344-foot legs that can install wind turbine components in water depths of more than 200 feet.
Wind Scylla would be used for installation of turbines at Revolution Wind, a 65-turbine offshore wind farm whose first foundation was installed in May. The 704-megawatt farm, producing enough energy to power 350,000 homes, is the country's first multistate project and will supply power to Connecticut and Rhode Island.
State Pier in New London is currently the staging and assembly area for Revolution Wind farm, which would be the first wind farm to supply wind energy, 304 megawatts, to Connecticut.
Wind Scylla is capable of transporting between five and seven complete sets of turbines, depending on their size.
Because it is a foreign-flagged vessel, however, Connecticut Port Authority Interim Executive Director Ulysses Hammond said in an email last week that Scylla is not able to load any offshore wind components.
The federal Merchant Marine Act of 1920, widely known as the Jones Act, requires that any cargo shipped from a U.S. port sail on a U.S.-built vessel. Ørsted previously contracted with Dominion for use of its 472-foot Charybdis, the first U.S.-built wind turbine installation vessel.
The contract was canceled earlier this year when it became clear the vessel, more than a year behind schedule, would not be ready in time for use by Ørsted. Ørsted said at the time that it had secured use of an alternate vessel and that wind turbine components would be shipped to the wind farm site with smaller vessels.
"This is a major event for State Pier and the state of Connecticut," Hammond said in a statement. "Large vessels have been arriving since last year to deliver offshore wind components after State Pier's transformation into a world-class marine terminal, but the arrival of a unique vessel like Wind Scylla is further evidence of the vital roles State Pier and Connecticut play in this new American industry.
Following the completion of Revolution Wind, State Pier will next host components for Sunrise Wind, an 84-turbine project.
