A pioneering partnership between global cable manufacturer Nexans and U.S.-based maritime logistics provider Crowley Wind Services is making headlines with the launch of a first-of-its-kind, Jones Act-compliant cable lay barge aimed at accelerating the American offshore wind market.
The 300-foot barge, currently undergoing testing in the Gulf of Mexico, is the first U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed vessel specifically designed for subsea cable installation. The vessel will serve offshore wind projects along the East Coast, starting with the high-profile Equinor Empire Wind development off New York.
Its capabilities and compliance with the Jones Act—requiring U.S.-built, owned, and operated vessels for domestic transport—are being seen as a long-awaited step toward closing the infrastructure gap in U.S. offshore wind development.
Purpose-Built for Power
The barge features a 3,500-tonne carousel to store and deploy heavy high-voltage subsea cables. A planned upgrade to a dual-carousel setup will boost its capacity to 7,000 tonnes. This enables it to install long lengths of cable without reloading—critical for offshore wind farms spaced miles from shore.
Equipped with dynamic positioning, multi-anchor systems, jet sleds, vertical injectors, and jetting ROVs, the vessel is prepared to handle challenging conditions, from shallow nearshore areas to deep offshore terrain. This versatility also allows for cable burial, bundled operations, and emergency repair missions.
The modular design supports fast adaptation for projects outside of offshore wind, such as undersea telecom cables or coastal energy infrastructure.
Jones Act Compliance Meets Real-World Need
Unlike many foreign-flagged cable lay vessels currently serving U.S. projects under temporary waivers, this unit is fully Jones Act-compliant and will be operated by American Maritime Officers (AMO) and the Seafarers International Union (SIU). Labor unions have welcomed the project, citing job creation, skills development, and support for the domestic maritime workforce.
For Crowley Wind Services, which formed a joint venture with Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, the project complements ongoing investments in port infrastructure and a Jones Act-compliant Service Operations Vessel currently under development.
Nexans, meanwhile, is bringing experience from its global operations and reinforcing its U.S. footprint with a subsea cable manufacturing facility in South Carolina. This strengthens vertical integration from cable production to installation within U.S. borders.
A Timely Response to Growing Demand
The launch arrives as U.S. federal and state agencies push aggressive offshore wind capacity goals. States like New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are driving gigawatt-scale procurement rounds, but domestic installation assets have lagged behind.
With no domestic cable lay barges in operation until now, project developers often relied on foreign tonnage. That’s becoming more difficult with tighter enforcement of Jones Act provisions and rising political scrutiny of foreign-flagged vessels in U.S. waters.
This vessel helps close the gap, delivering a domestically sourced, fully compliant installation solution at a critical moment. It reduces permitting friction, streamlines cable logistics, and ensures continuity across the cable value chain—all within U.S. jurisdiction.
A Platform for Future Growth
After Empire Wind, the barge is expected to support numerous planned offshore wind farms, submarine cable repair projects, and coastal energy developments. Crowley’s broader logistics network—including port terminals and feedering services—will allow the barge to connect seamlessly with cable factories and project sites up and down the East Coast.
Its flexible, scalable engineering makes it a potential industry standard for U.S. subsea work—designed not just for today’s projects, but for the evolving demands of the next decade. By enabling cable deployment, burial, and repairs with a single unit, it provides a versatile tool that reduces the reliance on multiple vessels and foreign contractors.
As global suppliers increasingly turn to U.S. offshore wind as the next major growth region, this Jones Act-compliant solution may become the new benchmark in how subsea infrastructure is deployed—on American terms, with American crews.
