Depth enhancement for Van Oord vessel

The 175m long, 26.24m wide, DP2 vessel is used for subsea rock installation to protect piping. Since delivery in 2011,

Stornes

has mostly been installing rocks to water depths up to 800m. A contract awarded to the company in 2013 required the vessel to operate at 1,300m.

After minor modifications in 2014, the first phase of the contract was executed. Now, the vessel has received an upgrade to her rock-dumping tower, which enables better performance at these depths.

Kris Kasper, project manager at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam said: “Van Oord’s project team had been busy for two years preparing for this installation. The designers were on the ground at all times throughout, constantly on-hand to answer any questions from our side. It was a very fruitful relationship. Equally, the hard work of the subcontractors we worked with, such as ESS, ZUSO and Den Breejen, ensured that we were able to remain on track.”

The project was carried out according to schedule, with the vessel arriving at Damen’s yard on 6 March and departing 25 May.