Load Handling Systems News

Rapp Marine said it has been selected by Gulf Island Shipyard, LLC, as the Overboard Handling System Single Source Vendor (OHS SSV) for Oregon State University’s (OSU) 193 ft x 41 ft multi-mission Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV), with the option of two additional vessels. Funding for the RCRV project is provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the contract design of the RCRV was developed by Glosten. The first vessel is currently under construction at Gulf Island Shipyard in Houma, La.

The US Department of Defense inform that five firms are to share in a broad range of ocean engineering services contracts with a combined maximum dollar value of US$99-million. DoD explains that the work to be performed provides for ocean engineering services in support of projects involving ocean cable systems, ocean work systems (such as shipboard load handling systems and undersea work systems), waterfront facilities, offshore structures, moorings, and ocean construction equipment. The maximum dollar value including the base period and three option periods for all five contracts combined is $99,000,000. The work will be performed in environments ranging from arctic to tropic…

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) selected Rapp Hydema to supply an electric ROV winch. The order adds another UNOLS entry to Rapp’s backlog, including a complete deck machinery outfitting on the Alaskan Regional Research Vessel (ARRV) that includes winches as well as load-handling systems. The Active Heave Compensation (AHC) capable winch accommodates 7350m of .681 EM cable, or 7500m of 9/16” cable. The winch powering scheme retains Rapp’s redundancy approach, with three electric motors mounted on the gearbox; management is through VFDs (variable-frequency drives). One of Rapp’s newest winch control systems, the Pentagon Research system, will provide controls for the Active Heave Compensation (AHC).

Cargotec won the Best Supplier award 2010 from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shimonoseki shipyard in Japan. It was given to Cargotec’s Offshore business and local Japanese team and, in part, is recognition of the company’s drive to understand future customer needs through the provision of an extensive geographic presence and strong collaboration with customers. “This award is a great acknowledgement from an important customer in the Asian market,” says Edvin TunheimTønnessen, Cargotec contract manager, Advanced Load Handling.

In April Cargotec secured an order to supply two active heave-compensated (AHC) cranes for Volstad Maritime's large offshore construction vessel (OCV) on order at Bergen Group Fosen shipyard in Norway (hull 89), which is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2012. The contract comprises a 250-tonne MacGregor AHC subsea crane and a 15-tonne MacGregor AHC offshore crane. The advanced OCV is an ST-259-CD design from Skipsteknisk, and is 125m long and 25m wide. The vessel is designed to the highest environmental standards and Clean Design requirements. It will be classed to Ice-1A.

MAR Inc., Rockville, Md., is being awarded a maximum amount $30,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in support of the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, Port Hueneme, for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the M/V Independence, including providing research, development, testing, and evaluation of undersea surveillance systems, load handling systems, acoustic array systems, cable system components, cable and system survivability studies, installation methods, test vessel support, and training range establishment and maintenance. Work will be performed in Port Hueneme, Calif. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of April 2015.

MacGREGOR has signed an agreement to acquire Hydramarine AS. Hydramarine is based in Norway and is a company in high-end offshore and subsea load handling systems for the offshore vessel industry. MacGREGOR will acquire 90 percent of the company with the remaining shares being owned by employees. The acquisition is subject to competition authority approval. Hydramarine focuses on the development of hydraulic and electrical deck machinery equipment for shipowners, yards and operators. Its key products are large active heave compensated cranes to the offshore industry. It offers a complete range of high-end handling systems such as cranes, davits, winches and subsea load handling solutions. Its products are installed on various kinds of offshore supply vessels and rigs.