Germany: HeavyLift@Sea Reveals Prototype Draft for Heavy Goods Transporter

The maritime engineering specialist HeavyLift@Sea has just presented the prototype draft for a heavy goods transporter offering highly flexible application options.

The company headquartered in Hamburg’s HafenCity and founded last year by Lars Rolner and Hendrik Gröne has its focal areas of competence and experience in the heavy goods shipping sector. With its heavy lifter HLV1600, which as a so-called multipurpose vessel can transport extremely large size part loads and bulk goods with equal ease, the engineering company is presenting its second high-quality basic design following its draft of a jack-up service vessel. All prototypes are tailored by the team at HeavyLift@Sea to meet the customers’ specific needs.

“The heavy lift market has changed significantly as far as the ordering party is concerned over a very short period of time,” HeavyLift@Sea managing director Hendrik Gröne explains. “The current requirements shipbuilders’ fleets are expected to meet include versatile application options for maximum utilisation of the ships in addition to high performance capability. That is precisely what we have designed the heavy goods transporter HLV1600 to deliver. It can transport project loads such as parts for wind energy plants and containers just as easily as it can load grain.”

Its exceptionally large loading area with a capacity of 28,000 cubic metres, which can be split by an intermediate deck, offers optimum conditions for transporting voluminous part load goods such as delicate windmill blades for offshore wind plants below deck. If need be, the ship can also transport its load with open hatches.

The heavy lifter is planned to have two cranes, the lifting capacity of which can be selected to suit the customer’s needs. A total of 1,600 tons is possible, which means experience with the transshipment of heavy goods is required as far as operation of the ship is concerned. With its diesel engine, the ship can reach a speed of 16 knots.

It is designed with a length of 169.70 metres, a width of 28 metres and payload capacity of 22,000 tonnes. With closed hatches, it can have a maximum draught of 9 metres, with open hatches a maximum of 7.50 metres. The working deck covers an area of 3,800 square metres and a crew of 30 can be accommodated on the vessel.

Hendrik Gröne explained: “The heavy lifter has been developed from a chief engineering perspective which means we always focus on the ship as an integrated system. We offer this ship to the customer as a basic design and can adapt it precisely to suit their wishes and individual needs.”

[mappress]

Press release, January 30, 2013; Image: heavyliftatsea