MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has been awarded a contract by Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Ltd. for two subsea knuckle boom cranes to be installed on the world's first seabed mining vessel. Delivery of the cranes is scheduled for 1Q 2017.
The 227m-long production support vessel has a beam of 40m. It has been designed by Singapore's SeaTech Solutions for Dubai-based owner Marine Assets Corporation (MAC). Following delivery at the end of 2017, it will operate under long-term charter to Canadian seafloor exploration company Nautilus Minerals.
The MacGregor order consists of two knuckle boom cranes; a 200-tonne active heave-compensation (AHC) subsea crane with the capability to operate to a depth of 2500m, and a smaller 100-tonne subsea crane.
Tom Svennevig, vice president, offshore load handling, MacGregor, says: "The demands of offshore operations are constantly changing. At MacGregor, we work hard to understand our customers' requirements and to ensure that we are always ahead of the competition in our ability to offer exactly the right hardware for the job, supported by our global service infrastructure."