VESSEL REVIEW | Daqiao Haifeng – China Railway Group places jackup installation vessel into service

The China Railway Group, via its subsidiary the China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group, has taken delivery of a new jackup installation vessel built to support the construction of offshore wind farms.

Daqiao Haifeng (大桥海风) was built by China Merchants Heavy Industry Haimen in compliance to China Classification Society rules that cover unlimited navigation, permitting operation in project sites overseas as well as in Chinese domestic waters.

The vessel has an LOA of 138.3 metres (453 feet), a beam of 53 metres (173 feet), a depth of 10 metres (32.8 feet), a maximum endurance of 45 days, accommodation for up to 120 personnel, and an electric propulsion system that can deliver a service speed of eight knots. Installation work can be performed at water depths as deep as 70 metres (226 feet), thanks to four 131-metre (429-foot) pile legs that the owner claims are among the longest to be fitted on a Chinese-built vessel.

The legs can lift the main deck to a maximum height of 105 metres (344 feet), thus reducing the adverse impact of wind and ocean currents on installation activities.

Built for extreme conditions

The deck equipment includes a main rotating crane with a lifting capacity of 2,000 tonnes and an auxiliary crane that can lift 400 tonnes to a height of 180 metres (590 feet). A DP2 system works in conjunction with small manoeuvring thrusters to ensure safe station keeping even as the vessel is subjected to extreme weather conditions up to Beaufort force 16.

The deck itself can simultaneously transport two sets of 25MW offshore wind turbines and their associated equipment, or assorted cargo totalling 7,500 tonnes (7,400 tons). The onboard crane will enable the vessel to complete the installation of a single wind turbine in as little as 48 hours.

A helicopter deck is also fitted to facilitate at-sea transfers.