By Sam Wroblewski 630wpro.com
State and local officials gathered in Warren Wednesday to cut the ribbon on a new project to construct a boat which will service the Deep Water Wind Farm off of Block Island.
Family owned company Blount Boats began looking into the possibility of manufacturing service boats for wind energy farms after initial talks for offshore wind began five years ago.
“We realized offshore wind was a possibility along the east coast, and we started to study the kinds of vessels that are needed for a wind farm,” said Blount Boat President Marcia Blount.
“It’s a dream come true.”
The near 70-foot catamaran is being built out of lightweight aluminum and will be designed to carry up to 70 workers and large amounts of cargo. The local tourism boating company Rhode Island Fast Ferry has already promised to staff and operate the new boat.
Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said the partnerships made during the construction of the new wind farm could help spring board the state into the energy manufacturing sector.
“We’ve got the ability to be the place where [wind turbines] get assembled and go wherever,” said Whitehouse.
The Deep Water Farm is expected to be operational by 2016.
