DEME Group’s DP3 offshore installation vessel Orion has left the COSCO Qidong shipyard in China to start the first series of sea trials.
During the sea trials the vessel’s performance will be measured and her dual fuel engines will be tested to their maximum power, DEME said.
The 216.5-metre Orion will have the capacity to accommodate a crew of up to 131 people and will be powered by a dual-fuel engine capable of burning liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Featuring a Liebherr HLC 295000 crane with a lifting capacity of 5,000t, Orion will be deployed for the construction of the largest offshore wind farms, to service the oil and gas industry, and for the decommissioning of offshore installations. The loads can be lifted to a height of more than 170 metres, according to DEME.
The delivery of the vessel is scheduled for the end of 2019.