The world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessel Sleipnir has already set its first world record. (Photograph: HMC)
DUTCH OFFSHORE CONTRACTORS ONCE AGAIN PUSH BOUNDARIES by Paul Schaap, PAS Publicaties
Once again in 2019, Dutch offshore contractors have pushed their boundaries even further and established new world lifting records with their enormous semi-submersible crane vessels, including the brand-new Sleipnir operated by Heerema Marine Contractors, and innovative pipelay vessels. Their specialist equipment makes it possible to find a solution to any problem, which can then be put into practice, worldwide. In 2019, the offshore world of course looked forward with real interest to the commissioning of the world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessel. The vessel in question was Heerema Marine Contractors’ (HMC) Sleipnir, equipped with two enormous Huisman cranes, each with a lifting capacity of 10,000 tonnes. This behemoth of a vessel was officially christened at Sembcorp Marine in Singapore on 24 May. A remarkable feature of the Sleipnir is that the vessel is equipped with dual-fuel engines that can operate both on MOG and LNG. In July 2019, Titan LNG successfully completed the largest LNG bunkering 14
NETHERLANDS SUPPLIERS CATALOGUE 2020
operation in the world in Singapore, involving 3,000 tonnes of LNG from the tanker Coral Fraseri, owned by Anthony Veder. This operation enabled the Sleipnir to complete its journey from Singapore to the Mediterranean Sea, via the Cape of Good Hope, without interruption. The vessel was rebunkered in Gibraltar, before setting sail for the Leviathan gas field off the coast of Israel. On arrival, the Sleipnir placed the 15,300-tonne topside for the Leviathan platform onto the jacket previously installed in the sea by HMC’s Thialf. Never before had such a heavy topside module been installed offshore, by a crane vessel. Yet another world
