On March 16, Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery (ZPMC) held a steel cutting ceremony for a deep-water crane vessel project—built for the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau—at ZPMC Qidong Offshore. According to the previously announced contract award, the contract value for this crane vessel stands at 1.1488 billion RMB (approximately US$164 million).
The vessel has an overall length of 138 meters, a beam of 55 meters, and a depth of 10 meters, with a design draft of 6.5 meters. It accommodates a complement of 150 personnel, possesses unrestricted navigation capability, and meets Tier III emission standards.
The vessel is equipped with a 1,600-tonne slewing-around-pile crane and a 400-tonne full-rotation crane, featuring DP-2 dynamic positioning capability. It is primarily used for emergency rescue and salvage operations in waters under China’s jurisdiction, possessing the capability to salvage vessels in waters shallower than 90 meters, and offering a rapid emergency response capability in the event of a maritime accident.
This vessel can efficiently perform tasks such as equipment lifting at salvage sites, the complete salvage of small wrecks, assisting in the salvage of large wrecks, unloading cargo from wrecks (especially hazardous materials), offloading oil from tanks, and providing life support for on-site personnel. It can also be used for the transportation and installation of wind turbine foundations, support towers, nacelles, and blades in offshore wind farms, and can also be used for platform maintenance, platform life support, and the lifting of various structures near the shore.
Upon its completion, this vessel will primarily be utilized for emergency rescue and salvage operations within China’s jurisdictional waters at depths of up to 90 meters, while also accommodating the operational requirements of offshore wind power, marine oil and gas, and other engineering projects. It represents another significant achievement for ZPMC in serving national strategies and developing high-end offshore engineering equipment, and will provide crucial equipment support for China’s endeavor to build itself into a maritime power.