OOS Walcheren semi-sub vessel starts its engines

Dutch company OOS International has revved up the engines on its newbuild semi-submersible heavy lift crane accommodation vessel OOS Walcheren for the first time.

OOS International said last week that the first start-up of the engines happened on October 10 at the China Merchants Heavy Industries (Jiangsu) Shipyard, where the vessel is currently under construction.

The OOS Walcheren is the sister vessel of the OOS Serooskerke, which is presently undergoing the final stages of commissioning before heading out for sea trials. Delivery of the OOS Serooskerke is expected during the first quarter of 2020.

The construction of OOS Walcheren began in May 2018 with a steel cutting ceremony and it has taken over 16,5 months to start up the engines.

The keel-laying ceremony for the OOS Walcheren was held in December 2018. According to the company, the vessel is on schedule with a 0.19 percent budget overrun.

Prior to engine startup, the piping systems had to be thoroughly flushed out and cleaned. The electrical systems were checked to ensure all cables were terminated correctly and safely.

Also, the ventilation systems were cleaned, tested, and run. The paintwork of the engine room compartment was touched up.

Before the ignition key was hit, the vessel was under construction for 504 days, with 2.5 million man-hours spent. 22,000 MT of steel were used during construction and 212 blocks were built.

It is worth noting that the OOS Walcheren is equipped with an SCR system to ensure the emission meets the tier 3 requirements.

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