UK-based Marine and Towage Services Group Ltd. (MTS), has purchased a new vessel to allow it to deliver cargo, construction equipment and other materials directly onto land, without the need for dedicated dockside facilities.
MTS Terramare’s ability be used as a floating platform for diving survey will also enable offshore energy developers to meet the continued demands of infrastructure activity around European waters.
Steve Bendell, commercial manager at MTS, said: “Increasingly we are finding there is a market need to deliver cargo to locations with little or no port infrastructure.”
He added: “Already, the MTS Terramare has been successful for the delivery of equipment and materials for the repair and maintenance of remote and inaccessible coastal assets.”
“The MTS Terramare will prove a valuable vessel in meeting this need, extending the versatility of our fleet and the range of services we provide our clients.”
The vessel is equipped with a four point mooring system, powerful deck crane and ISO container fittings.
For station keeping in shallow waters, the MTS Terramare is equipped with two spud legs allowing the vessel to support survey, construction and installation risk management activities.
With a draught of 1.4m and a cargo deck measuring 13.7m x 4.6m, the MTS Terramare can transport up to 50 tonnes onto remote shores at a top speed of eight knots.
The vessel also contains accommodation for up to eight passengers, while a hydraulic deck ramp and crane facilitate the transfer of cargo ashore.
Mr Bendell concluded: “We are also able to charter the vessel for diving operations, which we expect to utilise in support of the European offshore energy industry, adding to an already strong surveying resource in the existing MTS fleet.”
The MTS Terramare is available for immediate deployment, and has already been used to transport cargo to the Isles of Scilly and along the UK’s South Coast, showcasing the range of environments in which it can operate.
By Alice Mason
