Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation has launched the Acadia, the first U.S.-flagged subsea rock installation (SRI) vessel that complies with the Jones Act at Hanwha Philly Shipyard.

The Acadia has been specially built to carry and place up to 20,000 metric tons of rock on the seafloor. This rock is used to protect underwater infrastructure, such as offshore wind turbine foundations, oil and gas pipelines, subsea power transmission cables, and telecommunication lines. It acts as a barrier to stop erosion caused by waves and currents and to shield cables and pipes from physical damage caused by vessels and marine equipment.

According to the company, the Acadia will first be deployed for the Empire Wind I project off the coast of New York. After that, it will continue working on contracted projects along the U.S. East Coast until the end of 2026.

Construction of the vessel involved more than one million manhours and created high-paying jobs across multiple U.S. states. The steel used in building the vessel came from Ohio, while workers from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Louisiana contributed to the construction. Once operational, the vessel will be staffed by American mariners, ensuring long-term employment in the maritime sector.

Lasse Petterson, the company’s President and CEO, said the launch is an important step in completing their major new build program. He said the Acadia plays a key role in the company’s offshore energy plans and will start work as soon as it leaves the shipyard.

Eleni Beyko, Senior Vice President of Offshore Energy, confirmed that the Acadia is fully booked with work until 2026 and said the company is in discussions for future projects extending into 2027 and beyond.

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation, listed on NASDAQ under the symbol GLDD, has been in operation for 135 years and is the largest provider of dredging services in the U.S. It runs around 200 specialised vessels and is now expanding into the offshore energy market.

The Acadia was built at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, which was acquired in December by Hanwha Group, a major South Korean conglomerate. This acquisition makes Hanwha the first Korean shipbuilder to establish full-scale operations in the U.S.

Along with the Acadia, the shipyard has received an order to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier for Hanwha Shipping, a unit of Hanwha Group. This will be the first LNG carrier ordered in the U.S. for export purposes in nearly 50 years.

Hanwha Philly Shipyard’s current orderbook also includes five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels for the U.S. Maritime Administration, two of which have already been delivered, and three containerships for Matson, a major American shipping company.

Reference: globenewswire

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