Amsterdam-based shipping company Spliethoff has placed an order for six multipurpose vessels (MPVs) at the Zhejiang Ouhua Shipbuilding shipyard in China which are, inter alia, aimed at operating in the offshore wind market.
The vessels, with an overall length of 165 meters and deadweight of approximately 18.000 tonnes, will have a hold length of over 100 meters and will be equipped with heavy lift cranes. The accommodation, including the navigation bridge, is situated at the bow end of the vessel and ultra-long pieces of, for instance, wind turbine components, will be well-protected when carried on deck, according to Spliethoff.
The new R-Class vessels are also designed in accordance with the Polar Code and are therefore highly suitable to trade in remote areas such as the Arctic. Moreover, they will be optimized for fuel efficiency and equipped with scrubbers to reduce their environmental footprint as much as possible, the owner pointed out.
The first in the series of new vessel, named mv Raamgracht, is scheduled to be delivered in January 2019. After then, the remaining five vessels are expected to be delivered in regular intervals of two months. These will be named mv Realengracht, mv Reguliersgracht, mv Rijpgracht, mv Ringgracht and mv Rozengracht.