Singapore’s Flash Tekk Engineering has awarded the design and manufacture of Self-Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats (SPHL) contract to JFD – Divex.
The SPHLs are to be installed as part of the 18-man saturation diving system on the Van Gogh diving support vessels (DSV). These are currently under construction for Ultra Deep Solutions.
The multi-million pound contract includes scope for the design, manufacture and integration of up to eight SPHLs, six with the capacity to accommodate 18 divers and two larger ones for up to 24 divers. Each SPHL can operate at depths of up to 300 metres, and the craft is fully certified by DNV-GL.
To execute the project, JFD has teamed its Divex branded hyperbarics and chamber design expertise with lifeboat manufacturer Vanguard Composite Engineering, based in Singapore.
JFD’s Divex chamber and life support systems will be installed in the Vanguard–designed lifeboat, and Vanguard will supply the launch and recovery systems.
Giovanni Corbetta , managing director, JFD, siad: “We relish the opportunity to work with Flash Tekk and Ultra Deep Solutions as they bring their exciting new fleet of DSVs to the market. This exclusive partnership with Vanguard also allows us to offer a new, advanced range of SPHLs to the commercial diving market, which will greatly improve the likelihood of the successful, safe recovery and decompression of all divers working in these operations.”