DEME’s offshore installation vessel, Orion, has been launched at the Cosco Qidong shipyard in China.
The vessel will be used in the construction of large offshore wind farms, servicing of the oil and gas industry, and decommissioning of offshore installations.
Orion will be fitted with a 5,000-tonne capacity Liebherr crane - the HLC 295000 - which will be able to lift heavy loads at a height of over 170 m.
Liebherr is currently constructing a 1,600-tonne capacity crane - the TCC 78000 - at its facility in Rostock, Germany, which will be responsible for installing the HLC 295000 heavy lift crane onboard Orion.
The vessel’s deck space has been optimised to provide a high load capacity and will be capable of carrying monopiles, jackets, wind turbine components and other structures in a single shipment. It will also be able to transport and install the next generation of wind turbines, said DEME.
Measuring 216.5 m long, Orion features DP3 capability, is fitted with dual-fuel engines and can run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The vessel is expected to join DEME’s fleet at the end of 2019.
