Damen Delivers New 'Mega-barge' to Combi Lift

Shipbuilding group Damen said it has delivered the 111-meter Damen Stan Pontoon 11226 RD mega-barge Tomsk to heavy lift and project cargo shipping company Combi Lift. The barge will be used in the construction of Gazprom’s Amur Gas Processing Plant near Russia’s eastern border, transporting some of the largest components to the site.

This contract follows a 19 vessel order placed with Damen by Combi Lift that was delivered in May 2018. It was comprised of four Multi Cat 2608SD workboats, four Pusher Tugs 2612SD, four Side Floaters 8605SD and seven 89-meter Stan Pontoons 8916SD. Measuring 111.75m by 26.4m and with a deadweight of 5,700 tonnes, the Tomsk is almost twice the size of its smaller counterparts.

“Tomsk is a cutting-edge vessel which represents an important enhancement of our tugs and barges fleet”, said Holger Hinrichs, managing director of Combi Lift.

The new barge will be operated by AAS Amur Assets Shipping Limited, a joint venture set up by Combi Lift to support its role in the construction of the Amur Gas Processing Plant, 150 km from Russia’s border with China. Like the vessels already operating there, the new barge has been designed to navigate the very shallow inland waters in which it will operate. This involved minimizing the weight while maximizing the length and beam so as to increase buoyancy and reducing the draught. In total, Combi Lift is responsible for moving 176,000 tonnes of equipment and material that is required at the site of the new facility. The Tomsk will be tasked with transporting some of the largest components, including two, oversized heavy items that are critical for the operation of the processing plant. Hence the importance of the precise timing of the delivery.

The timeline for the project got underway on May 14, 2020 when the contract was signed, followed by steel cutting commencing at Damen Yichang Shipyard in China three months later in August. The barge was then launched on April 6 with a delivery ceremony taking place without the barge on April 19 in Bremen, Germany.

Following its handover, the barge is to be transported to Shanghai where it will be floated on to a semi-submersible transport ship that will take it to South Korea where the first cargo will be loaded. The transport vessel, barge and cargo will then proceed to the Russian port of De-Kastri on the Sea of Okhotsk where the laden barge will be floated off to start the 2,370-kilometer journey to the construction site.

“It has been a challenge, but we are delighted to have delivered this latest order from Combi Lift on time and on budget,” said Remko Bouma, sales manager Damen Shipyards North West & South Europe.