DEME Offshore’s newest heavy-lift jack-up Apollo underwent a refit to install a moon pool installation. The process involved creating an opening right through the centre of the vessel, from the main deck down through the engine stores and finally through the hull.
To achieve this opening without compromising the structural integrity of the 87.5-metre Apollo, the work was done in a strict sequence based on strength calculations of the ship’s structure so as to manage the weight distribution. The one-month conversion project took place at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu).
Works Conducted While Jacked up
Before the works could begin, the vessel had to be manoeuvred alongside the quay and then jacked up. This allowed the work to be conducted from a pontoon positioned directly beneath the hull.
'We performed the complete scope of work with the vessel jacked-up alongside the quay,' said Fabien Guillemot, commercial manager at DSDu. 'This demonstrates that for vessels of this type, we do not always need to incur the added cost and time of drydocking for projects or mobilisations that require works below the waterline. The location of our shipyard in the east port of Dunkerque has a constant water level thanks to the locks that separate us from the open sea. That greatly simplifies operations like this.'
The Apollo is now in Scotland for a wind farm installation project.
