MacGregor cranes for new dive support vessel

Three MacGregor offshore cranes have been contracted for a new dive support vessel (DSV) in the North Sea.

The contract includes one 120-tonne active heave-compensated (AHC) MacGregor offshore crane and two 10-tonne offshore cranes from South Korean shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). The 120-tonne AHC can operate at depths of around 500 m and has an outreach of 12m; the two smaller auxiliary cranes can operate at depths of 350 m and have a 15 m outreach.

Work for the cranes will include load-handling in a subsea environment. They will be installed on the 123 m DSV which is being built for UK-based Subsea 7, a construction and services contractor for the offshore energy industry. The vessel will be delivered at the end of 2015.

Speaking on the project, Frode Grøvan, director, sales and marketing for advanced load handling said, "This vessel has been optimised for operations in the North Sea and the cranes form a critical element of this capability. This is not the first time Subsea 7 has turned to us for a major crane contract. We fitted 250-tonne and 200-tonne AHC MacGregor cranes to its advanced diving vessel Seven Havila, which was delivered in 2011."