DEME Launches Orion

DEME Group’s 216.5-metre DP3 offshore installation vessel Orion was launched at the COSCO Qidong shipyard in China on Wednesday, 21 November.

The launching marks a milestone in the construction of this next generation vessel, which is progressing at the COSCO shipyard according to schedule, DEME said. The delivery is scheduled for the end of 2019.

Orion will be deployed for the construction of the largest offshore wind farms, to service the oil and gas industry and for the decommissioning of offshore installations. Orion will be equipped with a Liebherr crane with a lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes. The loads can be lifted to a height of more than 170 metres.

The deck space and deadweight have been maximised to provide a high transport and load capacity, according to DEME. Orion will be able take the heaviest monopiles, jackets, wind turbine components and structures in a single shipment, and transport and install the next generation of multi-megawatt wind turbines.

The vessel has dual-fuel engines and can run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). It will have a Green Passport and Clean Design notation.