Hapo Barges expands lifting gear portfolio

It is usually the main contractor that makes the headlines during marine salvage operations. Supporting them, however, are the sub-contractors, who provide additional equipment necessary for the task that is perhaps not part of (or readily available from) their own stock.

Hapo is one such provider, offering a range of pontoon barges and crane vessels, its inventory including mobile cranes capable of operation on land or from the pontoons. Its fleet also includes the multicat-type workboat Ian P, and while built in Singapore in 2004 it was refitted in 2017 to meet European standards.

Salvage operations may require debris to be lifted from the seabed and Hapo recently added a TGS-built “Salvage Grab” to its list of equipment. The grab has a capacity of 20m³ and a lift of 50 tons able to operate to 60m water depth.

The second recent acquisition provides an example of where vessel upgrades can provide an opportunity and purpose for displaced equipment that may otherwise become surplus to requirements and face an uncertain future.

Wind farm installation vessels are having to accommodate increasingly large turbines. The industry’s early days required the capability to lift components associated with 3MW turbines, but with turbines four times the size and of greater height becoming the norm, some vessels’ cranes are having to be upgraded.

Copenhagen-based Cadeler describes itself as a shipping and construction hybrid company and its O-class installation vessels Wind Osprey and Wind Orca are currently in Rotterdam having their 1,200-tonne capacity cranes replaced by 1,600-tonne models, providing increased lift and height than their predecessors.

Hapo was quick to spot the opportunity of adding the two displaced cranes, still only 10 years old, to its own inventory and the second one was recently handed over following technical inspection. Using its own barges H-331 and H-282 and lifting equipment, Hapo transported the cranes to its yard in Ridderkirk.

Sarens was hired for the roro operations with DDL Marine responsible for project management backed up by engineers from Saltwater Engineering. Hapo says the cranes are now available for re-sale while plans for retrofitting them to barges are being shaped.