Damen to deliver components package for oil recovery vessel

Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards Group has signed an agreement with South Korean-based Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) to deliver a complete components package for a multi-purpose vessel.

Damen said that the package included all equipment for oil recovery operations as well as a complete dredging installation.

The multi-purpose vessel will primarily act as an oil recovery vessel but will undertake work as a hopper dredger when not tending to emergencies.

The 5,000-tonne vessel will be built by HHIC and will be Korea’s first large combined oil recovery and dredging vessel.

The equipment package comprises the dredging gear, the oil sweeping gear, and the electric and hydraulic system. The integration of all these systems will also be done by Damen.

The dredging installation is a complete turnkey package including a 900 mm trailing pipe, designed to dredge at maximum 30-metre depth, complete with its gantries and winches, a dredge and jet water pump including drives, plus ample hopper loading and discharging equipment, including dredge valves and overflows.

The oil recovery system consists of a rigid sweeping arm of 15 metres complete with its crane and various oil pumps to deal with oils of varying viscosity. The oil recovery system has been designed to work in waves up to 4 metres.

The multi-purpose vessel is being built for KOEM, the South Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation. This government body is in charge of cleaning and protecting the marine environment.

According to the company, KOEM pre-selected Damen as the equipment supplier in February last year, following an intensive selection process.

Damen’s sales manager Michiel Hendrikx said: “We have been in contact with KOEM about this for some years and are very excited to have successfully signed a contract with HHIC for the delivery of the oil recovery and dredging equipment for this unique vessel.

“We have previous experience in South Korea, though this will be our first time delivering a components package to Korean shipyard. I am sure that with the combined experience of both Hanjin and Damen we can make this project a success”.

“With this multi-purpose oil spill response vessel project, we will be able to build a foundation for strengthening the ability to respond to large-scale marine pollution incidents as well as establish a rapid control system in Korea”, a KOEM official stated.

“We hope for the successful deployment of this vessel to the target site so that we may continue to protect our oceans effectively”, he added.

Damen has already started on the engineering process with the vessel delivery scheduled for 2022.