LWB starts lengthening project

LWB project manager Stephan Bieber told The Motorship the 199.8m long, 32,289gt DFDS ro-ro ferry Primula Seaways is entering the yard’s floating Dock 111 stern first. The docking follows the delivery of a 30m new mid-body section from local repair yard Brenn- und Verformtechnik (BVT).

Dock 111 is 286m long and 47m wide and has a useable inside width of 38m. Bieber said the yard has 31 days to lengthen Primula Seaways and that it will be handed back after heeling and sea tests in 33 days on about 9 August. It will then have 25% more loading capacity.

The new mid-body section weighs about 1,500 tonnes, Bieber said. It is already fitted and painted and was transported to LWB from BVT on the 70.3×32.2m specialist heavy lift pontoon Offshore BHV 1. The pontoon, owned by Bremen’s giant BLG Logistics, was itself built by BVT in 2011.

Primula Seaways is being separated where the overhanging bridge is located. The hull is first being cut vertically and then 10m horizontally below the bridge. LWB said this was to avoid time-consuming ramp cutting at difficult points inside the ship. After all connections have been severed the bow section was being removed, reportedly about mid month. The new mid-body section and the bow will then be positioned before hydraulic presses reconnect all parts.

Parallel work being carried out during docking includes MARPOL tank modifications and substantial bow collision damage as well as routine repairs.

Now part of Genting and heading a new German cruise ship building group comprising four shipyards, LWB has said it will also continue to handle repair and conversion and to “acquire orders independently” . It said it has options to lengthen two more DFDS ferries and also has projects for other European ship owners in hand. No details of that further repair work have however as yet been released.