New 5,000 Tonne Marine Crane

Nordic Heavy Lift subsidiary Avonway has ordered a heavy lift crane vessel with a record 5,000 tonne single mast lifting capacity. Dutch company Huisman-Itrec has designed the crane and it will also build it. Singapore's Sembawang Shipyard will build the 180 m monohull vessel, which was designed by Sea of Solutions, part of Offshore Ship Designers Group in the Netherlands.

A Huisman-Itrec spokesman said, “The design has many design innovations but what catches the eye is the enormous single mast crane, reaching approximately 150 m above the deck when topped up. It will be the largest single mast crane yet built.”

The vessel is due to enter service in March 2010.

The specification shows that lifting capacity over the stern is 5,000 tonnes to 34 m radius, and maximum capacity revolving is shown as 4,000 tonnes to 41 m radius. Mast height is 82 m and total boom length is 120 m. Maximum radius for the main hoist is 79 m, for the auxiliary hoist it is 109 m and for the whip hoist it is 122 m.

Huisman-Itrec has also built what it claims is the largest crane of this type, a 3,700 tonne capacity version that will be mounted on the Sapura 3000 vessel, which is under construction (IC April 2007, p49).

According to Huisman-Itrec deepwater oilfield construction projects demand high transit speeds and good dynamic positioning capability when on station. The vessel's transit speed of around 14 knots will be achieved by installing two propulsion thrusters of 5.5 MW each. These will be complemented by four 3.2 MW retractable thrusters and a 2.5 MW bow thruster. Provision for a future eight-point mooring system is built into the design.