Damen is launching 15 Stan Pontoons (SPo) and a newly designed transshipment Crane Barge this week at its Chinese partner yards. In addition, Damen has shipped Cutter Suction Dredger 450 Fen He within three weeks from the order.
Damen will deliver most pontoons to Dutch, UK and Russian clients, withholding a small number for itself to be able to deliver standardised designs from stock. ZPMC’s semi-submersible vessel Zhen Hua 29 will transport the pontoons to Rotterdam (the Netherlands) where they will arrive in the middle of October.
Damen’s Largest Pontoon
The shipment consists of various types of pontoons, amongst which a SPo 12032, the first of a newly designed series and the longest pontoon ever built by Damen. The Heavy Lift pontoon measures 120 x 32,2 x 8.1 m, has a deck strength of 20 t/m² and is outfitted with a ballast system, DMT winches and a Caterpillar generator set. The shipment further consists of: 2 x SPo 4113, 2 x SPo 6316, 2 x SPo 6511, 1 x SPo 7524, 4 x SPo 8916 ICE-class and 3 x SPo 9127. The Damen Crane Barge 6324 will be outfitted and commissioned at one of Damen’s Dutch shipyards.
New Offshore Accommodation Barges
Currently more than 25 additional pontoons are under construction at Chinese partner yards under Damen supervision. Mr Frank Koppelaar, Product Director Pontoons & Barges, says: ‘In the course of ongoing feedback, research and adapting to changing market circumstances, we are starting a new series of Offshore Accommodation Barges as well.’
CSD450 Dredger
The company also shipped a CSD450 dredger within three weeks from receipt of the order. The environmental cutter suction dredger is now on its way to Taiyaun, China, where it will assist in fighting the sedimentation problem of the Fen river.
Fen He
The CSD450 dredger will be called Fen He, which means “River Fen” in Chinese. It will be based in Taiyuan in the Shanxi province in northern China. There, the river Fen leaves the mountains and flows through the city. The river carries a lot of sediment from the mountains and deposits its load around Taiyuan. The local authorities have acquired the Fen He to maintain the river Fen at the right depth, also removing layers of contaminated silt in the process. The main functions of the CSD450 are to clean the river, to keep it navigable and to prevent flooding.
Ship Particulars
The stationary CSD450 works at a dredging depth of – 12 m and has a swing width of 34 m. The dredge pump, type BP45-1100, is powered by a Caterpillar diesel engine of 709 kW and has a mixture capacity of 3.000 m3/h. The dismountable dredger is 22.6 m long over pontoons, and weighs in total 115 tons, but can be dismounted in container sized items which can be transported easily.
Assembled under Supervision
The CSD450 was delivered within 3 weeks from order, after which it was inspected by the Chinese Import Authority at the yard. It was put on trucks and transported to the Rotterdam harbour. The CSD450 is now on its way to China by boat. There, it will be assembled under supervision of a Damen Field Service Engineer, who will perform all start-up functions assisted by the local crew. The crew will also follow a complete training program. Together with the cutter suction dredger, a full set of spare parts for 1 year of operation was delivered.
Picture: CSD450 during commissioning at the yard
