On 24 May 2019 it was announced that the world’s biggest semi-submersible crane vessel (SSCV) is set to enter service in the coming months, with the most powerful pair of revolving cranes for offshore oil, gas and renewable energy installation and decommissioning jobs.
Named after the Norse God Odin’s eight-legged stallion and newly completed at Sembcorp Marine’s Tuas Boulevard Yard for owner Heerema Marine Contractors, SSCV Sleipnir has a 220m by 102m reinforced deck area, making her the largest crane vessel to be built.
The vessel also has two 10,000-tonne revolving cranes which can lift loads of up to 20,000 tonnes in tandem. No other existing crane vessel has this capability.
Sleipnir can accommodate 400 persons and will be deployed globally for installing and removing jackets, topsides, deep-water foundations, moorings and other offshore structures.
Importantly, with her its single-lift capability catering to larger integrated structures than previously possible, Sleipnir will minimise offshore assembly work and raise operational efficiency to a new level, while not compromising the flexibility and robustness of traditional installation methodologies.
The vessel further stands out as the world’s first crane vessel with dual-fuel engines running on Marine Gas Oil (MGO) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
Coupled with an IMO- and US Coast Guard-approved ballast water management system, Sleipnir will operate sustainably across all environmental jurisdictions.
Heerema has already secured contracts to deploy the vessel in various offshore energy developments, including: Leviathan topsides installation in the Mediterranean Sea; Tyra jackets and topsides installation and removal in the Danish North Sea; Brae B jackets and topsides removal in the UK North Sea; as well as transportation and installation of the Hollandse Kust Zuid (HKZ) Alpha HVAC platform in the North Sea, off the Dutch coast.
In the offshore wind sector, Heerema sees a significant growth in the size of wind turbines and foundations, which requires specialised equipment for their installation.
With her large cranes capable of a 129m lifting height and a combined 20,000-tonne lifting capacity, Sleipnir is very well placed to accommodate this trend of increasingly bigger offshore wind turbines.
The vessel will leave for sea trials shortly and is scheduled for delivery to Heerema soon afterwards.
