Nexans and Crowley Wind Services Partner to Develop Jones Act Compliant Cable Lay Barge

Nexans and Crowley Wind Services have announced a partnership to develop and operate a Jones Act compliant cable lay barge specifically designed for offshore wind energy, telecommunications, and other subsea applications.

The 300-foot, U.S.-flagged vessel, named Marmac 306, was built in Louisiana and tested in the Gulf of Mexico to Nexans specifications. Featuring industry-first vertical injectors alongside dynamic positioning and multiple-anchors positioning systems, the barge will enable precise cable placement even in challenging marine conditions.

The specialized vessel boasts a 3,500-ton capacity carousel with potential upgrades to 7,000 tons with dual carousels for bundle cable operations. It will utilize various burial tools including vertical injectors, jet sleds, and jetting ROVs.

The barge is positioned to support Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind farm in New York, creating trenches for cables that transmit electricity generated by Equinor ASA’s $5 billion Empire Wind 1 project directly to the Brooklyn power grid.

“This barge will support our existing fleet of cable laying vessels,” said Pascal Radue, executive vice president of Nexans’ PWR-Transmission Business Group. “We are pleased to be working with Crowley on developing the capability to lay nearshore subsea cable in the U.S.”

Graham Tyson, vice president of operations at Crowley Wind Services, emphasized the vessel’s broader applications: “The cable lay barge will provide a productive supply chain solution for offshore energy, telecommunications and other sectors.”

The project represents a significant advancement for the U.S. maritime industry, with American mariners crewing the vessel. Both the American Maritime Officers (AMO) and Seafarers International Union (SIU) have expressed strong support for the initiative, noting its contributions to maritime employment and the importance of the Jones Act.

Crowley, a private U.S.-owned maritime and logistics company with over 130 years of history, operates across 36 nations and territories as one of the leading employers of U.S. mariners.