Lloyd’s Register to class LNG heavy lift crane vessel

Lloyd’s Register said it has won a contract to class what it claims to be the world’s largest heavy lift crane vessel (NSCV) for the Netherlands-based Heerema Group.

The semi-submersible vessel will be constructed at the newly opened Sembcorp ‘Mega yard’ in Singapore.

The dual-fuel LNG and MGO vessel is due to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2018, and will be used in the installation and decommissioning of offshore facilities, LR said in a statement.

The NSCV project, which has a contract value of around $1 billion, is further strengthened by the involvement of the Dutch crane specialist Huisman which will fabricate two tub-mounted 10,000 tonne cranes for the vessel in their Chinese production facility.

“While the vessel is impressive in scale, Heerema are committed to the protection of the environment and will include an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) and boast a full complement of LR’s ECO notations including NOx Tier III compliance, LNG propulsion and compliance with the ballast water management convention (BWMC) to ensure efficient operation in some of the world’s most sensitive environmental areas,” LR said.

The vessel will also have dynamic positioning capabilities in excess of the DP (AAA) standard along with compliance with a range of coastal state requirements including Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), UK and USCG requirements which means it will be capable of deep and ultra-deep sea operations on a truly global scale.