VESSEL REVIEW | Lian Chuan Ban Qian Bo – Launching barge with 20,000-tonne capacity

Chinese shipbuilder the Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Group has completed construction of a semi-submersible barge with a capacity of 20,000 tonnes.

Classed by China Classification Society, Lian Chuan Ban Qian Bo ("Lian Chuan Semi-Submersible Barge") is a launching work vessel capable of loading, transporting, and offloading various large payloads, though its primary role entails loading other vessels from horizontal slipways and then launching these directly into the water via submerging.

The 206.45- by 45-metre, 100,000-tonne barge is non-self-propelled, relying instead on other vessels to deploy it to and from work sites. Four 3,600m³/h frequency converters drive powerful ballast pumps that can lower the barge to a maximum depth of 22.6 metres and raise it again afterwards in a process that can be completed in as little as 10 hours. Four anchor windlasses meanwhile aid in positioning, ensuring the vessel is secured in one location under mild to moderate sea conditions when used as a floating dock.

Although designed to have no embarked crews when carrying and transporting cargo, the barge is nonetheless equipped with berthing spaces that will allow it to operate as an accommodation platform for technicians if needed.

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