Oil and gas company Dockwise’s new heavy lift vessel, the Dockwise Vanguard, which will be able to lift and transport units of up to 110,000 tonnes (the maximum capacity of other existing vessels is 75,000 tonnes), is to be classed by Det Norske Veritas (DNV).
“Not only were DNV’s existing rules essential for scaling up this unique semisubmersible heavy lift vessel concept, but DNV’s risk assessment capabilities were also key to meeting all the SOLAS requirements for this unconventional design,” he added.
At the annual gala for the Dutch maritime cluster, the Royal Dutch Association of Shipowners chose the Dockwise Vanguard as the most innovative and daring project launched by the Dutch maritime sector during the past year. When accepting this award, Dockwise’s Chief Executive Officer André Goedée expressed his appreciation of the Dutch flag administration and DNV.
“I am pleased and impressed by the way the owner, flag and class have managed to work together. By thinking ‘outside the box’, we have been able to form a new concept and bring the whole industry a huge step forward,” he said.
The vessel is going to be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea. Its keel will be laid in December and the vessel is due to be delivered in October 2012, when its first cargo will be ready to be transported from South-East Asia to Brazil.
