Van Oord vessel order back on track

The order, including an option for a second vessel was awarded in December 2010 by Van Oord to JJ Sietas Schiffswerft GmbH & Co KG, making it the first German shipyard contracted to build such a vessel. Van Oord already has involvement in the offshore wind energy market through cable installation, burial and scour protection work and this contract signals a step up in gear for their activities in the industry.

In November 2011 however, completion of the order was put in doubt when insolvency proceedings at Sietas got under way. Their ship repair and shipboard crane associated companies were unaffected, and the events followed a period of reorganisation when one of the Sietas family members was replaced by two outside managers. Despite diversification and efforts to attract new orders, insolvency proceedings were initiated, under the terms of which the Van Oord order could not continue.

Sietas has a long and proud history in the region with no shortage of faith locally in their longer term prospects, and much effort was made to save the yard and secure the jobs of around 1,000 employees. After negotiations between the liquidator, Sietas management and Van Oord, it was announced that the vessel, along with the option had been ‘re-ordered’, allowing work to continue with delivery expected early in 2013. The receiver sounded a positive note reportedly saying, “The order is a bridge into a new future for the Sietas shipyard. I am pleased that we were able to successfully conclude negotiations with our client Van Oord within a short time. The offshore wind power transport and installation vessel is a first in Germany, and points the way forward for Sietas and German shipbuilding.”

The original deal was seen as a boost for European shipbuilding when similar orders were heading to the Middle and Far East. There are over 20 next generation turbine installation vessels either recently delivered, under construction or with options held, almost all self-propelled jack-up designs indicating a trend away from the non-propelled jack-up barge design that has dominated the turbine installation market to date.

Those with a more traditional ‘ship-shaped’ hull design are capable of speeds up to around 12 knots and it is in this category that the Van Oord vessels fall. At 139m LOA and with a beam of 38m the vessel, to be named Aeolus, is based on the Sietas Type 187 installation vessel. It will feature a 900t capacity crane, able to operate at a height of 120m supplied by Sietas owned NMF.

By Peter Barker