Norwegian offshore supply vessel owner Boa Offshore has presented a new in-house design for future semi-submersible heavy lift barges, which are said to be capable of handling the requirements of any industry or segments regarding heavy loads, large footprints, and extreme submersing depths.
According to Boa Offshore, the versatile design and unique features of this barge make it highly suitable for load-out/float-off operations’ transport of vessels, platforms, rigs, and heavy cargo; drydocking operations; salvage operations; platform for construction and installation; and decommissioning.
The key features of the company’s new design entail dimensions of 166×73, 38×9, 15 meters; submersing depth of 31.65 m and 22.5 m water above barge deck; deadweight about 75,000 t; deck strength of 35 t/m2; ballasting capacity of 20,000 m3/hr; 4 x removable floatation towers; and hybrid operation battery/generators/shore power.
Boa Offshore is targeting the selection of a shipyard that will carry out the work within 2024 with the first barge in operation in 2026.
The Norwegian player wrapped up in June 2023 the drydocking of one of Helix Energy Solutions’ well intervention semi-submersible vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.