Steel Cut for COSCOL’s Heavy Lift Giant

COSCO Shipping Company Limited (COSCOL) has marked the beginning of construction on its 90,000 DWT Semi-Submersible Vessel, m/v Guang Hua Kou, with a steel cutting ceremony held at Guangzhou Shipyard International at the end of March.

This purpose-built heavy lift vessel will have a large open deck measuring 211.2 x 68 meters (692.9 x 223 feet) capable of transporting the largest offshore structures, semi-submersible rigs, and jack-up rigs.

It will be able to compete neck and neck with the industry’s finest such as Dockwise Vanguard, which is the world’s most capable heavy lift ship at the moment.

Some of its key features include superior internal strength, capable of stern or side loading, 16m deck submerging capabilities in order to load large floating structures of up to 20 tons/m2 overall- 125 tons/m on webframes, diesel-electric propulsion system capable of reaching a speed of 13.5 knots and Class 2 Dynamic Positioning System.

The vessel’s ballasting will be controlled by 4 large capacity air compressors, which will enable operations to be completed in about 6 hours, COSCOL said.

The heavy-lift vessel is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2016.