Safe Caledonia Refurbishment Successfully Finished (Poland)

Safe Caledonia Refurbishment Successfully Finished (Poland)

At the turn of first and second quarters 2012, the Prosafe-operated Safe Caledonia accommodation rig came to the Remontowa SA, for a major refurbishment.

After successful upgrades and conversions of offshore platforms accomplished by “Remontowa” in previous years, with semi-sub accommodation unit (Safe Bristolia) and a jack-up (Safe Esbjerg) among them, Prosafe decided to have another accommodation rig rejuvenated, entrusting the job to the Remontowa SA.

The scope of work entrusted to Remontowa SA absorbed a wide range of capable yard’s trades and departments. The refurbishment of the Safe Caledonia resulted in an “as good as new” rig, ready for 20 more years of operation on the UK Continental Shelf. With, amongst others, new diesel generators, boilers, cranes, helideck, lifeboats, heating and ventilation system, sewage plant and ballast water treatment system, the rig will not only be more cost-efficient and reliable, but also more environmentally friendly.

Safe Caledonia Refurbishment Successfully Finished (Poland)

The job also involved services and even products from some of the REMONTOWA Group companies, such as PBUCh (Enterprise for Manufacturing of Refrigeration Equipment PBUCH S.A.). The refurbishment of the HVAC system onboard Safe Caledonia, included delivery of PBUCh’s shell and tube condensers, air conditioning units, equipment for provision cooling plant and air conditioning, refrigeration and ventilation pipe installations. At the final stage of upgrade at Gdansk based yard, the rig was docked onto Remontowa’s proprietary submersible heavy-lift barge REM Lift 25 000 (ex Smit’s Giant 4 of sunk Russian nuclear submarine Kursk hull salvage fame). The construction of the dock-barge has been enhanced with added stability owing to side sponsons installed at Remontowa. Docking of Safe Caledonia was the first job of REM Lift 25 000 at the yard. The operation went smoothly on November 21, 2012.

However, as largest floating docks of Remontowa were busy and towing them away (with ships under repairs and maintenance) to make the dock deep available for Safe Caledonia undocking would be inconvenient, it was decided that the rig would be towed out of the yard and the inner port of Gdansk first and then undocked from REM Lift 25 000 in the protected, but deep waters of the outer Gdansk port (Northern Port). The tow and Remontowa’s first undocking of a semi-sub from heavy-lift submersible barge was performed smoothly during January 26-27, 2013. This provides a good example of added docking flexibility gained by the shipyard with its new investment – REM Lift 25 000, which might be available also for other uses.

After completion of sea trails on the Gdansk Bay and anchorages of the port of GdaƄsk, the accommodation rig was expected to be towed to the Northern Sea.

[mappress]

Press Release, January 31, 2013