Powerful yet flexible lift ship ordered
A new type of extremely powerful, self propelled DP2 crane ship has been ordered combining a heavy lift capacity with an uncommon flexibility.
Designed in-house by Antwerp based Scaldis Salvage & Marine Contractors, a few specific characteristics make this new crane ship unique in its field. Provisionally named Rambiz II, it has two Huisman cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 2,000 tonnes, based on a design by Vuyk Engineering of Rotterdam. The ship also has a carrying capacity of a further 3,000 tonnes.
The cranes can be moved 25m across the ship’s deck, which allows the area to be used to transport and then relocate cargo at a later stage.
The ship and the cranes are an integrated design which allows the maximum load to be hoisted in significant wave heights of up to 1.5m. Even in these circumstances, the freeboard is not less than 3m anywhere on the vessel. In standby or transport modes, the significant wave height can be as much as 7.0m. The maximum load can be lifted in water depths of just 5.0m.
The four azimuth thrusters and the DP2 system allow installation work to be conducted in deeper water without the use of anchors. This guarantees flexibility and efficiency and also means that work can be carried out in zones where many pipelines and cables already lie on the seabed. The crane ship is also equipped with four main working anchors and winches and four secondary devices. The rapid ballast system can follow the hoisting operation exactly, allowing jobs to be completed quickly and continuously.
The ship will be equipped with a moonpool for the purposes of operating a separate ROV for inspecting and supervising installation work on the seabed. Finally, the presence of heavy fenders allows containers to be loaded and unloaded at sea. The provision of a helipad in combination with accommodation for 78 people means Scaldis is capable of providing a varied range of additional services.
Scaldis is ordering this ship with one eye on the further support and expansion of its services, including the installation of offshore infrastructure and decommissioning activities in deep water for the oil and gas industry and the installation of offshore wind farms. The ship can also be used for any type of heavy lifting work in challenging situations, such as the construction of bridge components and clearing shipwrecks.
The vessel will be built in STX’s shipyard in Dalian and finished in Xiamen, both in China. The keel will be laid in February 2013 with delivery scheduled for spring 2014.
Technical specification:
Length:108.00 m
Beam: 50.90 m
Depth: 8.00 m
Draught: 4.90 m
Speed: 7 knots
Hoisting capacity: 4,000 tonnes
Total installed capacity: 10,450 kW
Accommodation: 78 people
