Jumbo to order dual-fuel heavy lifter in China

Jumbo, offshore transportation and installation contractor, has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with China Merchants Industry Holdings (CMIH) for engineering and construction of a DP2 heavy lift crane vessel (HLCV).

Jumbo said on Friday that the estimated date of delivery was the first quarter of 2020 and that the new HLCV was designed in cooperation with Ulstein Design and Solutions.

According to the company, the new HLCV will be powered by dual-fuel engines and has the ability to run on natural gas (LNG).

The X-BOW hull of the vessel will enable a more consistent transit speed and offshore workability in severe weather conditions. Also, Jumbo said that the HLCV vessel, 185 meters long and 36 meters wide, would be the world’s largest X-BOW vessel.

The new HLCV will be further equipped with two offshore mast cranes, designed and constructed by Huisman Equipment B.V., with a lifting capacity of 2,200 and 400 tonnes respectively and with water depth ratings of 3,000 meters each. The vessel will also be equipped with a moon pool and is flex-lay prepared.

Jumbo said that the vessel would be used for the installation of the wind turbine foundations, installation and decommissioning of fixed oil and gas facilities in shallow waters, installation of moorings systems and floating structures in deeper waters, and installation of subsea structures, foundations, and (flex-lay) tie-backs

Michael Kahn, managing director of Jumbo, said: “Signing this Letter of Intent alongside CMIH, with their partnering mentality, is a key milestone for Jumbo’s offshore division to further step-up, scale-up and diversify into the global offshore energy market.”

Ulstein in 2015 introduced  HX103 and HX104 designs, DP3 heavy-lift capability vessels. Jumbo did not say if the new vessel would be based on these designs. Below is the photo of the HX104 design.