Van Oord Transfers Stornes to Sietas Shipyard for Final Outfitting (Germany)

Van Oord, the renowned, globally operating dredging, marine and offshore contractor from the Netherlands has engaged the Sietas shipyard in Hamburg for the final fitting-out and commissioning of its new flexible fallpipe vessel, “Stornes”.

This special offshore vessel was transferred to the port of Hamburg from the Chinese Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd.. She docked at the fitting-out pier of the Sietas Group’s Norderwerft shipyard today. Over the next weeks, experts from both the Sietas and Norderwerft shipyards and the vessel’s owners and operators, Van Oord, will carry out the necessary work before the “Stornes” sets out for her first assignment.

Van Oord awarded the contract for building the challenging self-unloader “Stornes” to the Chinese shipyard in 2006. Construction was complete by summer 2011. Installation of the unloading system and part of the commissioning and tests of the “Stornes” remained to be done. To adhere to the remaining schedule, the operating company decided to transfer the vessel to the Norderwerft shipyard for this work.

“We greatly appreciate the confidence that Van Oord has shown in us with this contract,” said Rüdiger Fuchs, CEO of the Sietas Group. “Sietas has many years of experience and extensive know-how in the building of self-unloading bulk carriers. With the Sietas and Norderwerft shipyards, part of the maritime Sietas group, we offer integrated solutions from a single source. That means unrivalled quality, efficient cost management, high productivity and adherence to schedules. Testing and commissioning are highly demanding, complex tasks that the Sietas shipyard is delighted to undertake for Van Oord.”

Jaap Bakker, Manager Plant Design & Construction at Van Oord: “Our excellent experience during development of the Jack-up vessel recently ordered from Sietas for Offshore Wind Farm installation made us decide to prepare the ‘Stornes’ for final commissioning and testing in Hamburg.”

“Stornes” – Flexible Fallpipe Vessel

The “Stornes” is the fourth flexible fallpipe vessel in the Van Oord fleet. This special type of self-unloader is used on Offshore Projects, like the careful installation of rock to secure oil and gas pipelines or installation of foundations for Offshore Wind Farms. Van Oord developed the flexible fallpipe technology in-house. This is a highly flexible “open” tube that permits the accurate placing of different sizes of rock. Under water, it is guided by a computer-monitored navigation unit (Remote Operated Vehicle – ROV). This guarantees accurate placement of the rocks at depth. In addition, the “Stornes” has a DP2-system that steadily and reliably maintains the ship’s position during the assignment, even with strong currents and wind during winter operations at the North Sea.

The “Stornes” is 175 meters long, 26 meters wide, has a draught of 10.67 meters and a moulded depth of 14.50 meters. Her cargo capacity is 27,000 tons and, fully loaded, she has a top speed of 14.7 knots. She can place rock at a depth of more than 1,500 meters.

Sietas and Norderwerft shipyards fit out “Stornes”

During the next weeks, the “Stornes” will be made ready at the Norderwerft shipyard fitting-out pier. The vessel’s flexible fallpipe system and the ROV will be installed in collaboration with engineers and experts from Van Oord. This will be followed by loading tests as well as commissioning of the rock dumping equipment, the ROV and the DP2- system off the coast of Norway.

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Source: Van Oord, August 12, 2011