FOCUS ON THE NETHERLANDS
Diamond recovery vessel
ALEWIJNSE MARINE WINS A CONTRACT FOR THE COMPLETE ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION ON THE WORLD’S NEWEST AND LARGEST OFFSHORE DIAMOND RECOVERY VESSEL. ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF ALEWIJNSE
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lewijnse has started preparations for the complete electrical installation on board of what will be the world’s largest and most advanced offshore diamond recovery vessel. Designated an Additional Mining Vessel (AMV) by its owner De Beers Marine Namibia, the ship will be the seventh member of the fleet. Alewijnse is once again working with the Damen Shipyards Group, this time at Damen Shipyard Mangalia in Romania. This is the group’s flagship facility for the largest and most complex vessels, including big offshore vessels and offshore structures. “We won this contract based on our reputation and years of experience on special projects,” says Petrică Crăciun, Sales Manager at Alewijnse Marine Galati. “We have worked with the Damen Group on challenging one‐off projects before. This will be our first time at Damen Shipyards Mangalia but once again, we will have the opportunity to demonstrate our know‐how, flexibility, and capabilities beyond conventional ships and into sophisticated, special‐purpose vessels.”
Tight timeframe
The AMV3 is a complex vessel and the build involves partners from both the mining industry and maritime sector. Its function demands a wide array of sophisticated systems requiring electrical power, control, and monitoring. Paramount among these is the latest sub‐sea crawling technology that recovers the diamonds from the seabed. This involves a 300‐tonne crawler machine which deploys a mechanical arm that moves in a horizontal arc, dredging material from the sea floor immediately below the hull at depths of around 130m. A large onboard processing plant then sifts the dredged gravel on board the ship, removing the diamonds and sealing them in metal canisters. Another large and complex system is the seven thruster, DP2 dynamic positioning system that will be powered by six generators of 3,230 ekW each. Alewijnse is preparing to start work on board and looks forward to the challenge, explains Project Manager Cătălin Androne, who is leading the Alewijnse team. “This is a
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17-04-20 12:10
