C-Job Naval Architects, Hoofddorp, will provide Cosco Offshore with the basic design package for DEME Group’s offshore installation vessel ‘Orion’.
This contract follows C-Job’s recent conclusion of ‘Orion’s concept design. The impressive technical specs of the vessel, to be operated by DEME subsidiary GeoSea, will service offshore wind installation, oil & gas and decommissioning activities.
C-Job recently completed the concept design for DEME’s ‘Orion’. While working on this subsequent phase of ship design, C-Job’s dedicated ‘Orion’ project team will be able to draw on the extensive knowledge that they have built up. This will yield efficiencies in overall project timing as well as maritime engineering and vessel optimisation.
“The same team will be involved, so it is really a natural progression for us,” states C-Job Project Manager Rafael Novas Garcia. “We will be able to hit the ground running with this Basic Design. Orion is a very advanced vessel with a lot of systems to integrate. It will be a challenging project, but a challenge that we will enjoy taking on.”
DEME will build Orion at Cosco in China. After her 2019 delivery, ‘Orion’ will be mobilized by DEME subsidiary GeoSea for offshore wind farm installation activities. To this end, the vessel’s DP3 capability and accommodation for up to 131 persons will both be valuable assets in performing offshore contracts. The 216.5-metre vessel’s substantial loading and lifting capacities will also mean that GeoSea will be able to operate in the oil and gas industry and for the decommissioning of offshore installations.
According to C-Job Technical Manager Maarten Veldhuizen, Orion will be an extremely effective tool in the rapidly expanding offshore wind industry. “In terms of size and weight of foundations and turbine components, this sector is advancing fast,” he explains. “And what we are seeing is that jack-up installation vessels are reaching their limits in terms of vessel strength and payload capacity. The Orion’s technical specs will give her a future-proof position in the offshore wind turbine and foundation installation market.”
