Lindenau completes research ship overhaul
Work on Alkor was completed by Lindenau Schiffswerft at the beginning of this month.
Lindenau Schiffswerft at Kiel is handing back the 55.2m Alkor, the second IFM Geomar research ship to undergo overhaul, classification and maintenance at the yard recently.
The 21 year old Alkor has undergone hull, engine and machinery overhaul costing €2.8m and was being returned in early January, IFM spokesman Andreas Villwock told MJ. The work included underwater and surface hull treatment and painting, deck and interior work and machinery and equipment renewal or renovation.
The ship arrived in Kiel in October and docked in Lindenau’s Floating Dock 2, taking the space vacated by the 60m fellow IFM Geomar research ship Poseidon. Poseidon docked in September and left in late November after a six week revamp which reports said could be the 34 year old veteran’s last. It is due for replacement in five years time.
Meanwhile, Lindenau is close to completing another repair related job which has been delayed for about four years. Finally going into service at Kiel’s Naval Arsenal in 2011 is the 164m long, 33.4m wide floating repair Dock B. The €26m dock was ordered at Lindenau in 2007 and completed and transferred to the German Navy yard in Kiel in 2008. With an inside width of 23m, it is designed for ships of up to 6,000 tons and can handle frigates, fleet auxiliaries and submarines.
Technical problems and insolvency (which the Lindenau Shipyard is now well on the way to overcoming) have prevented the dock going into service sooner. It was finally tested in November when the 83.5m long and 14.2m wide intelligence gathering fleet auxiliary Oker was drydocked. The new dock has a bottom service pit between the keel blocks for access to the sonar intelligence pod under that ship’s bow.
A frigate and a submarine are also being test drydocked before Dock B is officially accepted by the Bundesmarine and taken into service.
By Tom Todd
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