Freight News, Logistics, Sea

Underwater Power Plant Goes Down Under

[ March 11, 2016   //   Gary G Burrows ]

A vessel operated by HANSA HEAVY LIFT (HHL) has delivered a BioPower Systems (BPS) pilot unit and retrieval rig weighing a total of 698 metric tons, picking up the components in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam and transporting them to Portland, Australia.

Once at the Port of Portland, the retrieval rig was discharged from HHL Freemantle to the water and the vessel proceeded to the site off Port Fairy to carry out installation work for the wave energy plant.

The ship’s two cranes, capable of lifting a combined 1,400 metric tons, were used to lower the unit onto the seabed where it will convert wave energy into electricity.

Divers monitored the installation process to ensure the unit was placed down safely and accurately. HHL engineers used remote controlled hydraulic shackles for underwater unhooking as well as heave-compensators to reduce dynamic forces on the cranes. Due to the rigging arrangements with the heave-compensators the lifting height was limited. Six winches were needed to control the unit’s swaying.

Tags: HANSA HEAVY LIFT