DEME’s new offshore installation vessel Orion will feature a combination of exceptionally high transport and load capacity, impressive lifting heights and green technology.
The vessel was launched at the COSCO Qidong shipyard in China on November 21. It is expected to join the fleet at the end of 2019.
Ready for the Heaviest Monopiles, Turbines and Structures
The 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. With a total installed capacity of 44,180 kW, the Orion will be equipped with a high-tech Liebherr crane with a lifting capacity of 5000 tonnes and can hoist heavy loads at an exceptional radius. The loads can be lifted to a height of more than 170 m.
Deck space and deadweight has been maximised to provide an exceptionally high transport and load capacity. The Orion can take the heaviest monopiles, jackets, wind turbine components and structures in a single shipment, and can transport and install the next generation of multi-megawatt wind turbines.
The vessel is 216.5 metres long and features DP3 capability.
LNG, Heat and Cold Recovery
Environmental considerations are another important element of the vessel design. The Orion has dual fuel engines and can run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). It will have a Green Passport and Clean Design notation. Other environmental innovations on board include a waste heat recovery system that converts heat from the exhaust gases and cooling water to electrical energy. The evaporation of LNG will cool the accommodation with a cold recovery system.
Innovative Fleet Investment Programme
A number of pioneering vessels recently entered the DEME fleet, including the dual fuel dredgers Minerva and Scheldt River in 2017, and the cable installation vessel Living Stone and DP2 jack-up platform Apollo in 2018. Other innovative vessels under construction include the 15,000 m³ trailing suction hopper dredger Bonny River and the powerful cutter suction dredger Spartacus. Additionally, DEME recently ordered two new trailing suction hopper dredgers and two split barges, which will join the fleet in 2020.
