Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Adds Subsea Rock Installation Vessel for Offshore Wind Projects
Event summary
- Great Lakes Dredge & Dock took delivery of the Acadia, a Jones Act-compliant subsea rock installation vessel, on June 25, 2026.
- The vessel will first work on Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 project and then Ørsted’s Sunrise Wind project off New York.
- Acadia is expected to deploy in Europe for a major offshore wind developer in 2027.
- Constructed by Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Acadia is the first U.S.-flagged vessel of its kind.
The big picture
Great Lakes’ acquisition of the Acadia underscores its strategic pivot toward offshore wind infrastructure, a rapidly growing sector driven by energy security and decarbonization goals. The vessel’s deployment on high-profile projects like Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind positions Great Lakes as a key player in protecting subsea assets critical to renewable energy development.
What we're watching
- Project Backlog
- How the Acadia’s deployment schedule will impact Great Lakes’ revenue visibility through 2027.
- International Expansion
- Whether Great Lakes can sustain high utilization rates in European offshore wind markets.
- Regulatory Compliance
- The pace at which Jones Act-compliant vessels become standard for U.S. offshore energy projects.