Heerema Signs LOI with Jurong Shipyard for Giant Crane Vessel
Dutch offshore contractor Heerema Offshore Services has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Sembcorp Marine’s Jurong Shipyard in Singapore for the construction of the world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessel (NSCV).
The vessel will be equipped with two cranes, each with 10,000-tonne lifting capacity, designed and built by Netherlands-based Huisman Equipment.
The cranes designed and under construction by Huisman Equipment, will provide heavy lifting capacity to install and remove offshore facilities and can also be utilized for the installation of subsea structures, foundations, moorings, and floating structures in deep water.
The cranes will be used to install subsea structures, foundations, moorings, and floating structures in deepwater. The 214-metre-long, 97.5-metre-wide NSCV will be self-propelled with a speed of up 10 knots, with dual-fuel engines running on marine gasoil (MGO) and LNG.
In a statement, Heerema said the introduction of the NSCV "will enable HMC to meet customers’ demand for lifting capacity beyond what it can currently offer," and noted that the ship's large, reinforced work deck will increase efficiency when installing or removing offshore facilities.
“The fact that we decided to press on with our plans in these times of low oil prices, shows our belief in the offshore oil and gas industry and demonstrates our continued commitment to offer unparalleled installation services to the industry,” Jan-Pieter Klaver, CEO of Heerema Marine Contractors, said in a statement today. “We are confident that with Jurong we have found a reliable partner that can build the world’s largest crane vessel.”