Empire Offshore Wind, a joint venture between Equinor and bp, has awarded a contract to Maersk Supply Service for charter of its newbuild wind installation vessel (WIV).This vessel, together with US constructed barges and tugs built and operated by Kirby Offshore Wind, will be used for the installation of the project’s Vestas V236-15MW turbines. The concept ensures that the vessel can remain in operation while the barges transport turbine components from the staging port on a continual basis. The newbuild vessel is planned to be ready for operation for Empire Wind I and II in the mid-2020s.