Offshore wind and dredging contractor DEME from Belgium is entering the final phase in the construction of its new DP3 offshore installation vessel Orion. The vessel has arrived at the Liebherr construction yard in the port of Rostock, Germany, for the installation of the 5000-tonne crane.

Installation of the crane marks the final phase in the construction process, which started in March 2018. Liebherr started work on the new crane a month later. The high-tech crane will be assembled on the 800-tonne pedestal on board, which will also include a rigging store, deck workplace and several offices.

Unrivalled Lifting Height

With a lifting capacity of 5000 tonnes at more than thirty metres outreach, the crane could lift nine fully loaded A380 airplanes in one go. Loads can be lifted to an unrivalled height of 180 metres.

The DP3 offshore installation vessel will be one of the largest vessels in the world. 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. The ship 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.

Dual-fuel and Waste Heat Recovery

The Orion has dual-fuel engines and can run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). It will have a Green Passport and Clean Design notation. Another environmental innovation is a waste heat recovery system that converts heat from the exhaust gases and cooling water to electrical energy.

Orion is expected to join the fleet in 2020 and will head straight to the Moray East offshore wind farm project in the UK for the installation of 103 jackets.