Equinor, the developer of Empire Wind, has launched the Service Operations Vessel ECO Liberty on June 28 for deployment in its New York offshore wind project.
Louisiana First Lady Sharon Landry served as the vessel’s “Godmother” during a christening ceremony on the Mississippi River at the Port of New Orleans.
Speakers at the event included Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, along with leaders from Equinor and Edison Chouest Offshore. A proclamation signed by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell declaring June 28 as ECO Liberty Day was presented during the ceremony.
The American-made ECO Liberty was built by Edison Chouest Offshore and by more than 500 Louisianans. The vessel was built with American steel and includes components from companies in several Gulf Coast states.
The 262-foot hybrid-powered ECO Liberty will soon depart for New York, where it will be homeported at New York’s South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, where more than 2,000 workers have been put to work constructing a next-generation staging facility, O&M base, and control center for Empire Wind. The ECO Liberty will be deployed to support ongoing marine construction in the lease area and eventually serve as the floating home for Empire Wind’s skilled workers when stationed offshore. Including the ECO Liberty, seven new US-flagged vessels will be added to the U.S. Jones Act compliant fleet.