Van Oord’s New Jack-Up Vessel Enters Lloyd Werft

Now, the 14,800 GRT Aeolus has arrived at Bremerhaven where the vessel’s four platform legs will be installed.

“ We were also able to win this very interesting job because we have already demonstrated with “Victoria Mathias” and “Friedrich Ernestine” just what we are capable of “, explains Lloyd Werft Chairman Rüdiger Pallentin .

The four 87 metre long steel legs, each weighing 920 tons, will be settled into their jacking positions on the 139 metre long and 38 metre wide ship using the world’s biggest crawler crane.

Thorsten Beiler (49) Lloyd Werft’s technical director says that this is one of the very special and demanding jobs, but one which the yard has already tackled successfully with the RWE installation ships.

Over the next few days a Type LR 13000 crawler crane with a 3,800 load capacity and a 130 metre long jib will arrive directly from the Netherlands to tackle the main part of the job. “ It will take about four weeks just to set up the crane and have it ready for operation by mid April “, says Thorsten Beiler . It will then take a good fortnight for all four hydraulic jack-up legs to be installed.

The shipyard is also involved in installing the vessel’s own on-board crane, capable of lifting up to 900 tons. In addition, the yard is building and fitting the deck reinforcements and foundations for a second 500 ton capacity auxiliary crane and also for a third on-board crane, which is designed to help improve flexible working at sea.

On the hull of the ship, Lloyd Werft is mounting a special access system which will allow smaller ships and tender boats to dock. Also being built are reinforcements and foundations for a folding pile gripper, with which heavy building components can be positioned. A gangway system leading from the vessel to the wind farm structure is also being installed on board the Aeolus.

Lloyd Werft has until July to get the newbuilding ready for sea.

[mappress] lloydwerft, March 20, 2014