Following its sister vessel in 2009, the vessel Joseph Plateau was launched today at the Spanish shipyard Construcciones Navales de Norte in Sestao.
This 191,5 m long vessel will be used for precise rock dumping to a depth of 2,000 m. The system for the unfolding of the fall pipe is extremely advanced and operates fully automatically. At the bottom of the fall pipe there is a ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) that accurately corrects the position of the lower end of the fall pipe. The vessel has a 31,500 ton loading capacity and makes it possible to dump 2,000 tons of rock per hour at a depth of 2,000 m. The vessel can accomodate 84 persons.
The fall pipe vessel Joseph Plateau will mostly be deployed in the offshore industry in which oil and gas pipes have to be installed at large depths: the Joseph Plateau can level the seabad and dump rock up to a depth of 2,000 m. The fall pipe can process boulders with a diameter up to 400 mm, which is more than any other fall pipe vessel on the market. The Joseph Plateau is also suitable for deepsea mining operationas, i.e. for recovery of minerals from the seabed and cable laying activities.
The godmother of the ship, Ms. Ann-Sophie Meuleman, daughter of Mrs. Isabelle De Sadeleer and niece of Mr. De Nul, cut the ribbon holding the traditional bottle, wishing the vessel and its crew a safe and prosperous journey. The bottle crashed, and accompanied by the sound of the horns of nearby vessels in the harbour, the ‘Joseph Plateau’ slid into the water.
The vessel will be delivered beginning 2013 and a first project is already ensured.
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Dredging Today Staff, August 3, 2012; Image: Jan De Nul