Skylift is a new concept, there’s plenty of jack-up platforms out there on the market, but this one is unique because it’s submersible, Fieke Engelbracht, sales manager, Ravestein, told Maritime Journal.
“We build everything from barges and ferries through to elevating platforms and jack-up barges,” she said. “But the Skylift submersible jack-up platform is a new concept for us.”
“The plan is to build an even larger platform in the future with 16,000 tonnes payload which will be used for heavier de-commissioning works. We’re lucky enough to always be busy, but our strategy is to cater more for the offshore market going forward.”
The Skylift 3000 operates as a submersible ship lift that can load-in and load-out structures weighing up to 3,000 tonnes. It is suited to work globally across the civils, offshore, oil and gas and renewables sectors.
Because it is both floating and towable, the 60x28m platform also has the ability to be used as a barge and can be used underneath an offshore platform as a way of lifting and lowering a platform for installation and decommissioning.
It can also be used in tandem with another platform for heavier decommissioning and salvage works.
The Skylift 3000 platform on show at Seawork is currently being used as a demo vessel and is being leased out to lift boats in and out of the water, most recently at ABP Southampton.
Ms Engelbracht continued: “A lot of times we are on an exhibition with our scale model and photo’s, people still don’t believe the barge is actually submersible without the use of cranes and/or ballast systems.”
“But when it is here and on the quayside people can see what a spectacle it is and how it functions.”
Each day at the exhibition, delegates were treated to a submersion demo.
By Anne-Marie Causer
