VESSEL REVIEW | Huaxia Kunpeng 01 – Chinese heavy-duty crane vessel for wind turbine installation

Chinese shipowner Huaxia Financial Leasing recently took delivery of a new large crane vessel from shipbuilder Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC).

Huaxia Kunpeng 01 (华夏鲲鹏01) boasts all-steel construction, a length of 195 metres (640 feet), a beam of 49.8 metres (163 feet), a maximum draught of 12 metres (39 feet), a depth of 16 metres (52 feet), and accommodation for up to 100 personnel. The vessel is the first in a series of two that were designed and built in compliance with China Classification Society rules including those that cover unlimited navigation areas.

The self-propelled vessel has a streamlined bow and rounded corners and keels as well as DP2 and eight-point anchoring systems to enable installation works to be undertaken in a broad range of weather conditions and in water depths of just under 100 metres (330 feet). Power is provided by engines that comply with IMO Tier III NOx emission standards and that ensure navigation over long distances, allowing installation works to be carried out farther offshore.

Built primarily for turbine installation

The main double-hook, heavy-duty deck crane mounted at the stern can rotate 360 degrees and has a maximum lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes, making the vessel suitable for the transport and installation of large-capacity offshore wind turbines. It also boasts one of the tallest lifting heights among Chinese-built crane vessels currently in operation, in addition to being one of the few fully rotating double-hook cranes of such large lifting capacity ever to be fitted on a seagoing platform.

Compared to the owner's earlier installation vessel, Huaxia Kunpeng 01 has improved navigation performance, which means it does not need to rely on tugs and barges for manoeuvring and positioning, and a greater deck load, which allows for the transport of up to 8,000 tonnes of assorted cargo. As part of the vessel’s regular operating profile, the deck will be used to transport multiple offshore wind turbine sets simultaneously.

Suitability for bridge construction and salvage

The bow also features a forward flight deck for efficient crew transfers and resupply via helicopter when the vessel is deployed offshore. The flight deck also features a Leon International meteorological data system that displays parameters such as wind speed and direction, air temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and the vessel’s attitude to determine whether helicopter take-offs and landings can be executed safely.

Onboard space is also available for a lifeboat for use in evacuations.

Huaxia Kunpeng 01’s significant lifting capacity also makes it suitable for other applications such as construction of cross-strait steel bridges, installation of offshore oil and gas platform modules, and even salvage of large sunken vessels.

Construction of Huaxia Kunpeng 01’s still unnamed sister vessel began earlier this year.