Damen Completes Upgrades of MPI Resolution ‘Spudcans’

Damen ARNO Dunkerque, part of the Damen Shiprepair & Conversion Group, has given a new set of ‘feet’ to the world’s first purpose-built offshore wind turbine installation and maintenance vessel, the 2003-built MPI Resolution.

Damen Completes Upgrades of MPI Resolution 'Spudcans'

The yard has carried out upgrades on the feet or ‘spudcans’ of all the jack-up vessel’s six legs to give them the additional strength they need to withstand the huge loads to which they are subjected when spudding on rocky seabeds.

Damen ARNO Dunkerque carried out the steel work in collaboration with Intelligent Engineering in an operation which was carried out in conjunction with the vessel’s 10-year survey and drydocking, as well as extensive refitting operations.

The whole operation was completed within a month, allowing the vessel to leave Dunkirk on April 3, a day ahead of its scheduled delivery date, despite its having arrived at the French port two weeks later than expected.

MPI Offshore fleet manager Dave Galloway said that the upgrade of the spudcans had become necessary to enable the MPI Resolution to work on the Humber Gateway wind farm project currently under construction off the east coast of England. “The Intelligent Engineering upgrade gives a significant increase to the load-bearing capacity of the spudcan without too much increase in weight,” he said.

Damen ARNO Dunkerque, previously ARNO Dunkerque, is one of the most recent additions to the Damen Shiprepair and Conversion Group, which took it over in December 2012. It was designated by the group as the yard best suited to carry out the MPI Resolution contract.

 

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damen, April 11, 2014