A new US shipping company is plotting an expansion of its vessel owning and management operations.
New York-based Kalypso Offshore Energy told TradeWinds plans are afoot to develop an offshore service vessel in addition to its order for the first US Jones Act cable-laying vessel (CLV).
The company said this week it has inked a deal with Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC for the vessel.
A partner shipyard is being sought to construct the ship on US soil.
Business development director Owen Rataj told TradeWinds: “We are finalising the vessel design and continuing the tender process with shipyards before making a final selection.”
“We anticipate a vessel launch in 2028, with the vessel’s first projects being conducted [in] this year,” he said.
And more is to come. “This CLV is the first of our planned developments,” Rataj explained.
“We anticipate constructing an offshore support vessel to accompany the CLV, supporting our cable construction and maintenance activities,” he added.
“We are also actively investigating and involved with cable repair scopes in the US. We anticipate having a cable repair spread prepared and ready for maintenance works from 2024 onwards,” the director told TradeWinds.
Open to offshore wind vessels
“We are open to constructing and operating additional vessels for our clients, such as service operations vessels [SOV]. Long-term, if developers are willing to explore opportunities together, we are open to exploring wind turbine installation vessels [WTIVs] and additional vessels,” Rataj said.
Kalypso is run by managing director Colin Smith, a former project manager at Belgian contractor and dredger owner DEME.
He joined the start-up in October 2023.
Rataj, who joined Kalypso in September 2022, also worked at DEME, spending five years at the group.
The business development boss declined to address questions of when the company was formed and who is backing it.
The collaboration with Royal IHC on the 5,000-gt “state-of-the-art” CLV marks a significant advancement in the US wind supply chain by filling a key gap in the nation’s vessel capabilities, Kalypso has said.
The CLV design meets Jones Act compliance standards, ensuring adherence to US legislation for domestic maritime trade, the company added.
The vessel will handle services including installation, repair and maintenance.
