New Vessel Solution Provides Perfect Fit for Renewables and Offshore Construction Industry
Thursday 28 April 2016
On 9th May, a new Multi-Purpose Support Vessel, aptly named Solution, will be christened at Urk, The Netherlands by its owner DUC Marine Group.
The new vessel has been purpose built for DUC Marine Group, who have been active in diving, construction and maintenance services for offshore and inshore industries for 30 years. The new vessel aims to fill a gap in the Offshore Renewables and Oil and Gas Construction and Maintenance industry.
“The vessels in our fleet are employed year-round, so we have had to charter additional vessels for our projects”, a DUC spokesperson explains. “We found that current vessels are either too small with insufficient capacity and possibilities, or too big and therefore not cost-effective. So we decided to design a ship with exactly the right size, capacity, versatility and cost efficiency.
Suitability for Offshore wind, construction and maintenance
Solution is perfectly suited for operations such as, amongst others, Buoy Installations, SPM Maintenance, Bathymetric Survey, Soil Investigations, UXO Survey and Clearance, Cable Removal, Debris Removal, Grouting Works and Bubble Curtain Deployment.
The right size
At 55 metres with a shallow draft of minimum 2.80 metres and maximum 3.50 metres, the Solution has the perfect size to work near wind turbines and platforms. The vessel accommodates 42 people with capacity for additional client offices on the vessel’s upper deck.
Stable and dependable
Solution is designed to remain stable even in heavy weather. The low water draft has been matched with a low air draft and the vessel is equipped with a DP2 system for superior positioning.
There are two knuckle boom cranes; mid-ship (90Tm) and on the aft deck (290Tm), and the main crane includes a ten-tonne active heave compensated winch. These features combined enable the Solution to operate in up to sea state 4.
The vessel’s DP2 system is essential; using a standard anchor is usually not possible near live cables in windfarms, so operations have to rely on DP2 systems to remain in position.
On DP2, Solution has a 25-day endurance and, on 4-point mooring, an endurance of 40 days. All systems are redundant in order to guarantee continuity.
The vessel is classified ICE IE and is able to operate between temperatures of -15 to + 35 degrees Celsius.
Versatility
The vessel is capable of beaching, and has two Ø1,20 moon pools for survey work. Once equipment is on location, a full dive spread can be mobilised in just under six hours, with strongpoints for containers and LARS systems already in the correct position.
Dutch Design
The construction of the Solution was managed by DUC, in close cooperation with architect Hernand Jansen, Shipcon Yard and Hoekman Yard. “Our working relationship is built on trust”, said the DUC spokesperson. “We all pulled together to get the Solution ready in time for her first assignment.”
MPSV Solution will start her first assignment in the Baltic Sea following the christening ceremony, giving her a chance to demonstrate her many talents straightaway.