Wärtsilä has been awarded the contract to provide the design for a new jackup lift vessel. The contract was signed in March with a well-known Chinese yard and includes an option for three additional vessels. The Wärtsilä design was developed in collaboration with Altis, a consultancy company specializing in the lift boat market.
Lift vessels are self-propelled and provide an offshore elevating platform with maneuvering capabilities to support various operations, including oil well intervention activities, and the maintenance, repairs, upgrades and removal of offshore rigs. Wärtsilä’s latest design provides better performance compared to conventional designs. In particular its crane capacity, MLC (Maritime Labour Convention) compliance, accommodation, operational water depth, and DP2 (Dynamic Positioning) are all areas where improvements have been made.
The 70.5m long vessel can accommodate 250 people and will be capable of operating in water depths of up to 75m. It is scheduled for delivery to the customer in September 2017.
Image: New jackup lift vessel design/ Wärtsilä