The Arrival of the Massive Semi-Submersible Crane Vessel Thialf
The massive semi-submersible crane vessel Thialf has been drawing a lot of local attention since its arrival in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island on Monday, May 26. As the second-largest vessel of its kind, it repositioned from Rotterdam to support the first phase of the offshore installation for Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind farm.
Anchored between Jamestown and Newport, the vessel attracted significant media coverage and local residents’ interest. However, opponents of offshore wind took to social media, dubbing the vessel the “death star” – a nod to the iconic Star Wars reference.
Standing at a towering height of up to 470 feet and capable of lifting an impressive 14,200 metric tons, Thialf held the title of the world’s largest floating crane vessel from its construction in 1985 until the introduction of Heerema Marine’s Sleipnir in 2019. Initially utilized for offshore oil and gas projects, the vessel has more recently been involved in supporting offshore wind projects, including monopoles installation.
Equinor’s spokesperson and the Harbormaster for Jamestown confirmed that the vessel is currently on a short layoff for staging purposes. It is undergoing a crew swap and preparing teams before heading offshore to the site south of Long Island for the Empire Wind project.
The vessel’s arrival in the U.S. shortly followed the lifting of a month-long stop work order for the wind farm by the Trump administration. With the project already 30% complete, Equinor is progressing with its onshore work, with offshore operations scheduled to commence this spring. The Empire Wind project is expected to be finalized by 2027.
Empire Wind Project Progress
Reports indicate that Thialf will be instrumental in initiating the monopile installation for the 54 wind turbines planned for Empire Wind. Additionally, it will be responsible for placing the foundation for the offshore substation within the wind farm.
The manufacturing of the first monopile for Empire Wind was completed in November 2024, and as of April, the first six of the 54 foundations have departed Rotterdam en route to New York. Despite the temporary pause in the U.S., Netherlands-based Sif continued with the project’s progression.
In 2022, Equinor contracted Maersk Offshore for its newly-built wind turbine installation vessel to install the turbines for Empire Wind. The plan involves staging wind turbine components at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and transporting them to the site via barges with tugs provided by Crowley.
The project anticipates generating its first power in 2026, with a capacity of 810 MW upon completion.