Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has won an order to build a US$240 million semi-submersible heavy transportation vessel (SSHTV) from Netherlands based oil and gas service provider Dockwise.
The vessel is specially designed to transport more than 110,000 tonnes of offshore oil and gas production facilities including FPSOs or Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading units.
After completion, FPSOs are usually transported by two or three tug boats from shipyards to operating sites, taking months to mobilise to the sites. This super-heavy transportation vessel can halve the delivery time, helping move up the installation and commissioning time, claims HHI.
The vessel, measuring 275 metres in length, 70 metres in width, and 15.5 metres in depth is scheduled to be handed over during the last quarter of 2012. Upon completion, the vessel will be the world’s largest semi-submersible heavy transportation vessel.
Kang Chang-june, COO of the Offshore & Engineering Division, HHI, said: “As an EPIC (Engineering, Procurement, Installation and Commissioning) contractor for offshore projects, we agree strongly with Dockwise that there is a rapidly emerging need for a vessel of this capacity, given the scale of growth of offshore projects. The benefits for our clients of dry transport of integrated structures and of large FPSOs are apparent to yards and offshore operators focused on the future evolution of our markets. As a top class offshore construction yard, we are proud that Dockwise has chosen HHI for the construction and timely delivery of this vessel.”
