Roll Group Adds Third BigRoll to Its Fleet

The Netherlands-based transportation company Roll Group has started 2020 with the addition of a module carrier to its fleet.

On January 6, 2020, Roll Group acquired a 2015-vessel that would be renamed BigRoll Biscay.

The ship will join the company’s two 173-meter-long MC-class BigRolls — BigRoll Berin and BigRoll Beaufort — which have been operational since 2016 and 2017, respectively.

With a length of 146 meters, a width of 32 meters and a deadweight of 12,285 tons, the BigRoll Biscay is slightly smaller than the abovementioned module carriers but has a wider deck space than the RollDock dock type vessels.

The purchase comes only a few months after Roll Group strengthened its footprint in Asia by opening offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. The move is said to be part of the company’s strategy to expand the land-based business and focus even more on combined land-sea projects. According to the company, BigRoll Biscay “underlines the strategy of Roll Group to grow as the provider of choice offering a unique land/sea combination.”

“We are convinced this is a good investment considering the improving outlook for the years ahead. We expect many developments in the near future and have identified a need for additional tonnage to serve our clients in the oil & gas and offshore wind markets,” Adriaan Aarts, Roll Group CEO commented.

“Our current module carriers are perfectly suited to serve these markets but given the large scale of some of the upcoming projects, further expansion of our fleet is necessary. The acquisition of the BigRoll Biscay is the next step in the development strategy of Roll Group.’’

Roll Group further said that the flush cargo deck of the BigRoll Biscay measures 123.8 x 32.2 meters, compared to 125 x 42 meters on the BigRoll Bering and Beaufort. The overall deck load capacity of all module carriers is 20 mt/m2 . The BigRoll Biscay isn’t ice class certified but in contrast, the Biscay does have DP2.

“This new vessel will enable us to serve clients that require DP capabilities for their projects… Our existing module carriers are DP ready and can be upgraded to full DP if so required,” Peter Rondhuis, Roll Group CCO, explained.

In the coming years, Roll Group plans to further expand its fleet and heavy lift equipment, Rondhuis added.