US-based Crowley Shipping has formed a New Energy division to focus on the emerging offshore wind and LNG energy sectors in the United States. Within offshore wind, the company aims to become “a total lifecycle service provider with tailored solutions in support of the entire project.”

The new division builds on the company’s 53-year history in the American oil and gas industry with U.S.-flagged vessels as well as engineering and logistics services.

“At Crowley, we have a strong company culture of environmental stewardship and sustainability in not only our own operations but in our services to customers”, says CEO Tom Crowley. “The New Energy division captures our commitment to those cultural principles while delivering innovative solutions that help customers in these emerging sectors succeed.”

Offshore wind

The American offshore wind industry is starting to gain momentum. There are several large projects in the pipeline and critical infrastructure like Jones Act-compliant installation vessels is being developed.

Crowley wants to cater to this industry as a total service provider with the transportation of turbines during construction, designs for industry-specific support vessels, shoreside terminalling and supply chain services from farm construction through decommissioning.

“Crowley takes the one-source concept to the next level as a lifecycle service provider”, says Jeff Andreini, the VP of the New Energy division. “We have engineered solutions to assist our industry partners in the installation of their wind farms, and once the project is complete, wind power companies can continue to turn to Crowley for operations and maintenance as well as help managing the terminal and vessel activity.”

LNG

In addition to wind power, Crowley will also focus on LNG. The US was once set to become a major importer of liquefied natural gas but with the rapid development of shale gas, the country has turned into an exporter.

Crowley has provided LNG distribution services since 2013 when it acquired Carib Energy LLC, the first company to receive a small-scale LNG export license from the U.S. Department of Energy for LNG transportation from the US into Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries.

Since that time, Crowley has expanded its LNG services to include sourcing and distribution services for industrial and commercial customers, but also microgrid solutions, engineering services and vessel fuel bunkering services. This expertise includes fueling of its own LNG-powered container/roll-on roll-off (ConRo) vessels, which operate on weekly service between the U.S. and Puerto Rico.