Successful launch of "Neptune"
Launch of "Neptune" at IHC Merwede
She is being built by IHC Merwede for GeoSea NV, the offshore marine construction specialist company within the DEME Group, based in Belgium.
The vessel of Gusto MSC type SEA 2500 will be operational in the first quarter of 2012, which equates to an impressively short lead time of a year and a half – from signing the contract to delivery – for this complex, hightech and unique vessel.
The 60m long and 38m wide DP2 (dynamic positioning) self-propelled jack-up vessel is equipped with a dedicated 600-tonne crane that is fully integrated into the hull. "Neptune" is said to be perfect for the transport and installation of offshore wind turbines and any other heavy marine offshore structures. Once operational, the "Neptune" will be provided with a Green Passport delivered by American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
On delivery to GeoSea in early 2012, the vessel will start its first assignment on Thorntonbank off the Belgian coast, where it will perform the installation of 48 wind turbines for the second and third stages of the C-Power offshore wind farm. Then, it will move to German waters in the North Sea for the construction of the Trianel West Borkum II wind farm (45km north of the East Frisian Island of Borkum) and the EnBW Baltic 2 wind farm (32km north of the island of Rügen).
