First rock installation vessel from AVIC

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The multipurpose vessel, 'Adhémar de Saint-Venant, is a DP2 Trenching and Offshore Support Vessel and Subsea Rock Installation Vessel. In the Subsea Rock Installation mode, the vessel can install about 5,100 tonnes of rock in a single load by means of the excavator, conveyor belt and the fall pipe for accurate rock installation at up to 600 m water depth, according to Jan de Nul Group. Alternatively the rock can be handled through an inclined fall pipe, for secure installation against offshore structures such as jacket platforms, gravity bases or monopile foundations.
The vessel's first project will be at the EPCI Kriegers Flak Offshore Wind Farm Project in Denmark. The vessel will be working as a fallpipe vessel together with the backhoe dredger Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Together, they will take care of the excavation of the foundation pit and installation of the gravel bed. The gravity based foundations for the wind farm will be ballasted and protected through scour installation by means of the Adhémar de Saint-Venant.

Short construction time
The vessel was delivered only 4.5 months after having been launched.

"Ulstein Site Team bridge the communications between the shipyard, Ulstein Power & Control and shipowner. The Pre-Commissioning service provided by Ulstein Site team made sea-trial four months after launching possible, which we are very proud of. The contract of Pre-Commissioning with Ulstein is indeed value for money!“
Mr. Dylan Xu, project manager of AVIC Weihai

The vessel is 96 m long and 22 m in the beam. The cable length is approx. 220 km, and the commissioning systems include 82 items. During the peak pre-commissioning period, there were more than 220 people onboard, 220 cables were layed and connected in a period of 40 days.

Ulstein Electrical Technology Co. Ltd (UET) performed the pre-commissioning. The scope of work included the supply of necessary cable glands and cable penetrations, a check of all cables, marking of the cables inside the cabinets, and the necessary ground connection according to cable plan, rules and regulations. Additionally, the connection of wires on Ulstein equipment as well as equipment from other providers, organisation of cables inside I/O cabinets and other control cabinets, the check and confirmation of systems ready for commissioning, and preparing pre-commissioning and commissioning plans.

The company has been firmly positioned in Ningbo, China, for several years. "Our teams of trained electrical personnel carry out pre-commissioning at several yards in China, the latest projects have been for PSV vessels at yards such as Wuchang, SWS and ROC,” says deputy managing director Stig Hjelvik.

The Power package consists of generators, switchboards, motor control centre, thruster frequency converters and motors. The control system is branded ULSTEIN IAS, based on ULSTEIN X-CONNECT, and has been developed by Ulstein.

Ulstein Power & Control has solid expertise in the offshore segment, and with this contract the company entered into a new segment.

System integration
During the assembly of the package, focus has been on achieving the best possible system integration between different products and systems.

“The solutions and products in a system delivery must be safe, green and cost-effective,” comments managing director Gunnar H. Hide in Ulstein Power & Control.

“With the joint effort from our Headquarter in Norway and our office in China, we managed to win the contract based on price, delivery time, functionality and system quality."

Jan De Nul Group, headquartered in Luxembourg, is an expert in dredging and marine construction activities, and in specialised services for the offshore industry of oil, gas and renewable energy.

AVIC Weihai Shipyard Co. Ltd. is based in the Shandong province of China. The yard, established in 1951, started the production of vessels for the international market in 1998. AVIC International has been main shareholder since 2011.

Ulstein Group is a group of maritime companies, specialising in ship design and maritime solutions, shipbuilding, power and control and shipping.

Vessel date facts

Vessel launch: 18 January 2017
Commissioning started: 28 March 2017
Sea-trial commenced: 29 May 2017
Delivery: 29 June 2017