China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) has successfully secured a major shipbuilding contract valued at approximately RMB 1.248 billion (approximately US$176 million). The project involves constructing a 65,000 DWT semi-submersible vessel and a deepwater diving support vessel for the Shanghai Salvage Bureau of the Ministry of Transport.
Among these, one 65,000 DWT semi-submersible transport support vessel is priced at RMB 738 million (approximately US$104 million), with a delivery schedule of 25 months from the contract signing date; one deep-diving work support vessel is priced at RMB 510 million (approximately US$72 million), with a delivery schedule of 28 months from the contract signing date.
According to the tender notice, the Shanghai Salvage Bureau plans to construct one 65,000 DWT semi-submersible vessel and one deepwater diving support vessel. Both vessels are designed for unrestricted navigation zones and must comply with the latest requirements of relevant international conventions, regulations, and current codes and rules issued by the China Maritime Safety Administration and the China Classification Society (CCS), with CCS classification. Both vessels will be designed by the Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI).
Specifically, the 65,000 DWT semi-submersible vessel is designed as an electric-powered, DP-2 dynamically positioned, self-propelled semi-submersible vessel with a triple-island configuration and rapid load adjustment capability. It has a deadweight capacity of no less than 65,000 tons and a lifting capacity of no less than 33,000 tons during submerged operations.
The deepwater diving support vessel is designed as an electrically propelled offshore engineering vessel with DP-3 dynamic positioning capability. The vessel is designed for saturation diving operations, capable of reaching depths of up to 500 meters. It features deep-water cable laying capabilities, enabling the installation and maintenance of underwater structures and flexible pipelines, as well as the laying and maintenance of underwater umbilical cables and electrical cables. It can also perform ROV operations up to 6000 meters and has a reserved interface for a vertical flexible hose laying system. The main deck houses one 250-ton offshore crane with active wave compensation capability.
So far this year, GSI has received one 70,000-ton semi-submersible vessel from COSCO SHIPPING Specialized Carriers and one 40,000 DWT semi-submersible vessel from Switzerland’s Allseas.