VESSEL REVIEW | Qin Hanggong 5000 – Chinese-built crane vessel with 4,000-tonne lifting capacity

Chinese shipbuilder Zhenhua Heavy Industry recently handed over a new deep sea-capable crane vessel to compatriot operator Jiangsu Longsheng Offshore Engineering.

Built in compliance to China Classification Society rules, Qin Hanggong 5000 has an LOA of 182 metres, a moulded beam of 49 metres, a draught of 8.4 metres, a moulded depth of 15 metres, a gross tonnage of 41,514, and an offshore crane with a lifting capacity of 4,000 tonnes and a maximum lifting height of 120 metres above the main deck. When the crane is rotating freely through 360 degrees, the maximum weight that can be lifted is 3,000 tonnes.

An all-electric propulsion system, which was incorporated to ensure compliance with unlimited navigation area guidelines, delivers a maximum speed of 7.5 knots and a cruising speed of 6.4 knots.

The vessel was designed to be capable of multiple roles including transport and installation of wind turbines of up to 15 MW capacity as well as other large offshore structures. All cargo is to be loaded on an open deck with an area of approximately 8,800 square metres. Installation can be accomplished either by hoisting or by piling and is possible under a broad range of weather and sea conditions. Because the equipment for loading, transportation, and hoisting/piling are integrated into one platform, the operator can fulfill offshore wind construction duties with minimal reliance on supporting vessels.

Qin Hanggong 5000's other duties include bridge construction and salvage of large shipwrecks. The vessel's initial deployment will be off Shandong province where a new offshore wind farm is being built.

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