China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has taken delivery of a new offshore piling vessel built by local shipyard Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC).
Erhang Changqing ("Second Voyage Evergreen") will be operated by CCCC Second Harbour Engineering Bureau. Construction was completed in compliance with China Classification Society rules.
The newbuild has an LOA of 130.5 metres, a beam of 40.8 metres, a depth of 8.4 metres, and a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion consisting of three generators, two supercapacitors and a lithium iron phosphate battery pack with peak shaving. Pile foundations of seven metres in diameter and up to 700 tonnes each can be raised to a height of 150 metres with the aid of a 5,000-tonne thrust cylinder.
Key features include a piling positioning system and a piling operation management system that gathers data on hydrological parameters to ensure safe and secure piling under a range of sea conditions. The vessel's safety equipment meanwhile includes a fixed firefighting system.