Holland Shipyards Group progresses upgrade of Van Oord’s heavy lift vessel
Holland Shipyards Group took part in a challenging project cargo transport to its yard in Flushing (Vlissingen) as over 700 tons of steel was delivered to a specially prepared site. The company said that steel, precision and power were all aligned to perform the transport and assembly of critical steelwork to the site for the upgrade of Van Oord’s heavy lift vessel.
The project cargo delivered is part of the upgrade of Van Oord’s heavy lift installation vessel, Svanen. The vessel’s gantry crane will be extended by 25 metres, making the vessel ready to handle the next generation of monopile foundations for offshore wind projects.
Months of engineering, planning, and collaboration resulted in this operation, overcoming immense logistical challenges due to the sheer scale and precision required. The site, initially unqualified for the task due to tight dimensional tolerances, was transformed with a sand level bed and temporary structures to support the top gantry of Svanen.
“This operation not only showcases our expertise in large steel constructions but also highlights our capability to innovate and execute complex logistics in shipbuilding and beyond,” the company said in its statement. The extension, weighing 1200 tonnes, will be installed using a 200-metre-high Mammoet crane.
Holland Shipyards Group will move towards the next stage of Svanen’s upgrade. The stage includes welding and further assembly. The upgraded Svanen will be operational in the third quarter of 2024.
