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Great Lakes Dredge & Dock has taken delivery of Acadia, the first U.S.-flagged, Jones Act-compliant subsea rock installation vessel, giving the U.S. offshore construction fleet a new domestic asset as offshore wind demand shifts toward fewer projects at home and stronger work abroad.
The vessel was delivered by Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia and is expected to begin work on Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 project offshore New York before moving to Ørsted’s Sunrise Wind project, Great Lakes said.
Jones Act vessel starts work offshore New York
Acadia is designed to carry and place up to 20,000 metric tons of rock on the seabed. The work protects subsea cables, pipelines and offshore wind foundations from scour, a process in which currents remove sediment around offshore structures.
Great Lakes said the vessel will support its expansion from dredging into offshore energy. The company said it has also secured two international offshore energy contracts with a major offshore wind developer, keeping Acadia active in Europe for most of 2027 after its U.S. assignments.
“Taking delivery of Acadia represents a transformative moment for Great Lakes and underscores our dedication to installing and protecting domestic and international offshore energy infrastructure,” said Lasse Petterson, president and chief executive officer of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock.
U.S. pipeline narrows as Europe offers work
The delivery comes as the U.S. offshore wind sector faces a smaller project pipeline. The Trump administration has moved to halt new offshore wind development and has reached settlements with developers to terminate several leases in exchange for investment in other energy resources.
That shift has reduced expected demand for Jones Act vessels, port upgrades and domestic supply chains built around offshore wind. Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind remain among the major U.S. projects still moving forward.
For vessel owners and contractors, the change raises a commercial question: can assets built for U.S. offshore wind find enough domestic work, or will they need to compete internationally?
Great Lakes’ European awards suggest specialized subsea rock installation capacity remains in demand outside the U.S., particularly where offshore wind construction continues at scale.
Shipyard milestone for Hanwha
The delivery also marks a milestone for Hanwha Philly Shipyard, which became part of South Korea’s Hanwha group after the acquisition of Philly Shipyard was completed in December 2024.
Construction of Acadia generated more than one million labor hours and used U.S.-sourced steel, Great Lakes said. Workers and suppliers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Louisiana contributed to the project.
Hanwha Philly Shipyard is also building vessels for the U.S. Maritime Administration and commercial operators, including National Security Multi-Mission Vessels and LNG-fueled containerships for Matson.
Great Lakes operates about 200 specialized vessels and is the largest dredging contractor in the United States. The company said Acadia will support its long-term offshore energy strategy while giving the U.S. market its first domestic subsea rock installation vessel.
