OOS International holds keel laying ceremony for new semi-sub vessel

Dutch company OOS International has held a keel laying ceremony for the OOS Walcheren semi-submersible heavy lift crane accommodation vessel in China Merchants Heavy Industry’s yard in Jiangsu.

OOS said that the keel lay was a significant milestone because it marked the beginning of forming the vessel.

According to the company, the progress of the construction will speed up rapidly after the keel laying, because of the large crane facilities available at the dry dock.

The OOS Walcheren is the third vessel using the asymmetric brace-less semi-submersible design within the OOS fleet. The first is the OOS Gretha, currently operating in Brazil, and the second is the OOS Serooskerke, which is under construction and due for delivery in the third quarter of 2019.

OOS added that a total of 28 sub-blocks were keel layed. The weight of each block range between 40mt to 210mt. The OOS Walcheren has a total of 212 sub-blocks which will be fully erected in the dry dock.

After the work is complete, the OOS Walcheren will be 138 meters long and 81 meters wide. The vessel will be staying in the dry dock for eight months, where it will be carefully outfitted and assembled before undocking at the end of July 2019.

The OOS Walcheren, a DP-3 classed semi-submersible heavy lift crane accommodation vessel, is designed to perform topside installation, decommissioning, offshore accommodation, wind-mill installation as well as multi-purpose offshore support activities.

It will be able to perform 4,400mt heavy lifts using two Huisman offshore mast cranes installed on board. The vessel will also be able to provide accommodation for 750 people meeting ABS habitability requirements.

It is worth reminding that the first steel for the vessel was cut on May 24, 2018, in China Merchants Heavy Industry.