Shipyard De Hoop delivers Wagenborgs largest Living Quarter Barge Rossini

Since 2007, Wagenborg has ordered a number of new built Living Quarter Barges (LQB) in The Netherlands at 2 different shipyards: Shipyard De Hoop and Holland Shipyards. Reason: The fast developments in oil and gas industry in the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan. The barges are specially designed for the harsh conditions, shallow waters, very high and very low temperatures, a lot of ice, danger from high pressure gas bubbles, etc.

It all started in 2009
In 2009, the need for accommodation was extremely high in the North Caspian Sea offshore fields. There was not much time before the winter started, channels closed and the area could not be reached for almost half a year. At that time, De Hoop launched the crazy idea to convert the 110 meter River Cruise Vessel Debussy into a 290 persons seagoing LQB. In 11 weeks time! The Debussy was initially designed for the river Rhone. In 2000, the Debussy was delivered by Shipyard De Hoop as a LQB.

Successful project
The success of this project quickly ensured a second order for De Hoop. Ravel, Debussy’s sister vessel, was converted into a 290 persons LQB. Ravel was also designed and built by De Hoop (delivered in 2001). In this second conversion, De Hoop fully ‘winterized’ the vessel: An ice-belt all around the hull to make it possible to certify Ice class 1B and additional equipment and installations to enable the vessel to stay in the field during the harsh winters in Kazakhstan (- 40°C).

Demand for more
In the mean time, Wagenborg and De Hoop where talking about more LQBs for the same area, again with a very short delivery time. Because the capacity of De Hoop was limited, cooperation with Holland Shipyards was undertaken. Based on existing hulls for inland vessels and a new 116 meter design for a 320 persons LQB, the vessels Verdi (built by De Hoop) and Puccini (built by Holland Shipyards) were delivered. Both barges were built from empty hulls with a complete new aft ship, in extremely short delivery times (16 weeks and 17 weeks). During this time, Holland Shipyard also converted the Passenger Vessel Londing Night into the 320 persons LQB Kurmangazy.

Largest Living Quarter Barge Rossini
The latest addition to this fleet is the 135 meter 440 person’s vessel Rossini, built by De Hoop. This one breaks all records, the barge is built again in an extreme short throughput time (20 weeks). Up till now, The Hoop has produced almost 2000 beds for Wagenborg. “We think the Rossini sets the new standard as the tendency is to go larger in these fields”, according to Patrick Janssens, Managing Director of Shipyard De Hoop. Also this time, the hull is based on a Chinese new build hull, originally designed for an Inland Container Vessel.

Left-over
The Rossini has, just as the Verdi, been fitted with a complete new aft ship which meant for some ‘left-over’s’ in the form of an aft ship.

Main Features
Principal dimensions
Length over all 135.00m
Length waterline 134.00m
Beam molded 11.45m
Depth molded 4.25m
Draught design 2.50m
Deadweight at Draught 2.50m approx. 1250 tons

Design Criteria
Ambient Air temperature Summer max. +40°C
Winter min -20°C (for construction)
Winter min -36 °C (for HVAC)

Ambient water temperature
Summer max. +32°C
Winter min 0°C

Men capacities
440 men accommodation: 4 men cabins and one 1 men cabin

Tank Capacities
Fresh water approx. 400m³
Fuel Oil approx. 130m³
Sewage approx. 1200m³
Dirty water collecting tank approx. 50m³

Cargo Area
Free deck area (in crane reach) approx. 50 m²
Deckload (rear part main deck level) 5 ton/m²

Rules & Regulations
Hull: In accordance with Bureau Veritas: Special service / Accommodation barge – Non Propelled Barge, Hull, Mach, Ice Class 1B, Coastal area.
Safety / Accommodation: In accordance with RosR certificate issued by NSI.

The vessel has a double bottom over the entire length. To get the hull certified Ice class 1B, an internal ice belt has been fitted all around inside the side tanks and in the fore and aft ship.

Accommodation
• 110 x 4 men cabin
• 1x 1 men cabin
• Total cabins: 111 cabins and 440 persons
• Mess room
• 2x Day room
• Galley
• Provision stores
• Cold stores
• Laundry
• Change room
• 1x store at each deck-level.
• Treatment room / Quarantine
• Meeting room
• Internet cafe
• 4x Office
• Reception / Barge Control Room
• Gymnasium

Equipment
Diesel Generators
The main power generation will be provided by the following equipment:
• Number: Four
• Output: 4 x 400 eKW
• Power factor: 0.8
• Voltage: 400 V AC, 3 phase, 50 Hz
• R.P.M.: 1500
• Cooling: Box Coolers

In the harbour and in case of emergency the power will be supplied by the following equipment:
• Number: One
• Output: 70 eKW
• Power factor: 0.8
• Voltage: 400 V AC, 3 phase, 50 Hz
• R.P.M.: 1500
• Cooling: Air

Communication Systems
• Marine VHF, 2 off;
• Internal communication: Public Address System with a maximum of 6 groups;
• Telephone central connected with every cabin and public space, interface to
external lines;
• 4 off phone booths in reception area (telephone not included).

Water maker
• 3x Reverse Osmoses Type fresh water makers, each with a capacity of 50 m³ /day.

Total 150 tons / day at outside water temperature of 5°C;
• Pre-filtering equipment and post treatment equipment;
• 3x raw water supply pumps in engine room for supply of raw water from outboard to
RO units in container. Water will be heated by heat exchanger (75kW) from -2°C to
8°C;
• RO units supply to freshwater tanks in double bottom of ship and to deck;
• Cyclone Type Pre-filter.

Cranes
• Portside: One electro-hydraulic crane, SWL 10 ton at 10 m. Fixed boom.
• Starboard: One electro-hydraulic crane, SWL 10 ton at 12 m. Fixed boom.

Zero Discharge
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water in the world by area. Either classed as the world’s largest lake or as a sea, the Caspian Sea has no effluents. This means that water is only leaving the Caspian Sea by evaporation or by human activity. The salinity is about one third of that of most seawater and the water level is about 28 meters below sea level. Because of environmental reasons, the Caspian Sea is a zero-discharge area. The region’s oil reserves are estimated at more than 200 billion barrels, second in the world only to the Middle East.

Shipyard De Hoop
In 2009, Shipyard De Hoop celebrated its 120th anniversary. Over the years, the yard has always focused on custom-build sea-going vessels as well as inland vessels. Shipyard De Hoop operates from two different yards: De Hoop Lobith, 10.5 hectare on the eastern side of The Netherlands, employing 130 people, and De Hoop Foxhol, 2.5 hectare in the north of Holland, which employs 65 people. On top of this, the yard normally works with about 100-150 regularly hired (Dutch) shipbuilders. The maximum slipway size is 200 x 60 meters.

Shipyard De Hoop has a track record of engineering and constructing a whole range of custom-build offshore and inshore vessels. Inland operations focus on large cruise and day passenger vessels, while the offshore vessels come under the categories of dredgers, offshore /diving support vessels, suppliers, semi-submersibles, tugs and push boats, chemical tankers and container vessels.

The yard has its own engineering department and has sufficient capacity in-house to completely design the vessel. Once, starting to build the vessel, Shipyard De Hoop has the capability to perform steel cutting, work preparation and pre assembly to build the complete vessel. The yard also does its own carpentry and has workshops for binding electrics and carrying out bench work. So basically, from start to finish, Shipyard De Hoop builds the entire vessel.

Because Shipyard De Hoop carries out all the design and building in-house, the yard is able to offer fast delivery times and a high level of flexibility and quality. Shipyard De Hoop, designers & builders since 1889.