VESSEL REVIEW | FT400 – Japan's Fudo Tetra acquires crane vessel with secondary disaster response capability
Japanese civil engineering specialist Fudo Tetra (FTCL) has placed a new crane vessel into service.
FT400 was built by Kosei Construction to support port maintenance activities throughout Japan. She is due to replace 2001 Tetra, an older crane vessel in the FTCL fleet.
Two vessels operating as one unit
FT400 consists of two vessels operating as one.
The crane is mounted on a barge with a length of 68.5 metres (225 feet), a beam of 25 metres (82 feet), a maximum draught of 3.7 metres (12 feet), a depth of 4.5 metres (15 feet), a displacement of 2,033 tons, and an open deck that can accommodate payloads totalling 4,011 tons.
Providing propulsion for the whole unit is a pusher tug with a length of 14.25 metres (46.75 feet), a beam of six metres (20 feet), a draught of only 1.3 metres (4.3 feet), and a depth of 2.07 metres (6.79 feet). The tug is powered by a Yanmar 6EY17W main engine with a rated output of 837 kW (1,120 hp).
The fully rotating crane supplied by SKK has a maximum lifting capacity of 400 tons while a dynamic positioning system operates in conjunction with electrically driven pump jets.
This arrangement ensures stability and accurate station keeping when the vessel is conducting lifting operations while being subjected to moderate winds, waves, and currents.
FT400 boasts a 450kWh energy storage system (ESS), and FTCL expects that this configuration can help reduce the vessel’s CO2 emissions by as much as 60 per cent.
The ESS can also supply electrical power for up to 72 hours while the vessel is anchored, thus providing adequate power for hotel loads for extended periods.
AI-enabled systems and ample crew facilities
The onboard facilities include a female-only cabin with its own toilet, shower and laundry facilities; a mess; a sauna; a conference room; and a 100-square-metre (1,100-square-foot) space that can also be used as an evacuation shelter following disasters.
Also fitted is an AI-enabled navigation support system to help minimise labour requirements and to enhance collision avoidance during transits to and from work sites.
FT400 will initially be deployed to support maintenance activities at the ports of Kinoura and Shimizu.
The vessel’s secondary functions will include disaster response, a role that was also performed by her predecessor 2001 Tetra in the wake of the magnitude 9.1 earthquake that struck Japan’s Tohoku region in 2011.
In addition to employing her crane for lifting debris, the vessel can be equipped to supply electricity in disaster-stricken areas pending the availability of dedicated power generation facilities.
