New type of deepwater dive support vessel to be designed

The ship is to be built for the state-owned Shanghai Salvage Bureau (SSB), one of the largest professional salvage companies in China.
The Wärtsilä design features what the Finnish company describes as a unique combination of capabilities, including deepwater (6,000m) salvage operations, deepwater pipe-laying and construction work, and saturation (SAT) diving operations for 24 divers using two diving bells. SAT diving is a technique that allows divers to reduce the risk of decompression sickness when working at great depths for extended periods of time.
All of the design features are based on a single platform operating with DP3, the highest class of dynamic positioning. When built, it will be the world's first SAT diving support vessel with multi-lay and ultra-deepwater construction capabilities, according to Wärtsilä.
"The new vessel will certainly be the most sophisticated asset in our fleet. It will carry out operations in very deep waters and in often difficult conditions," said Huang Yan, director of SSB's Deep-Diving Technology Development Centre.
The contract with SSB covers initial and basic design of the ship, meaning that class- and flag-authority-related drawings for the purpose of finalising the necessary approvals and certifications will be supplied. Wärtsilä says it will also provide the basic references for future, more detailed engineering requirements for building the vessel.