VESSEL REVIEW | Tiejian Qizhong 5000 – China Railway Construction acquires large crane vessel for offshore installation

China Railway Construction Corporation (CRC) has taken delivery of a new crane vessel built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC).

Tiejian Qizhong 5000 (铁建起重5000; "Railway Construction Crane 5000") will be operated by CRC's Port and Shipping Bureau out of Nantong in Jiangsu province. It is capable of transporting, lifting and installing heavy marine components, making it suitable for marine construction projects and the installation of large offshore platform components such as wind turbines of 13 MW capacity or greater. The vessel may also be used for salvage of large vessels.

Capable of operating even in harsh environments

Tiejian Qizhong 5000 has an LOA of 203 metres (666 feet), a beam of 50 metres (160 feet), a maximum draught of 13 metres (43 feet), a depth of 18 metres (59 feet), and a main deck with a total area of 6,400 square metres (69,000 square feet) and a transport capacity of 15 tonnes per square metre.

The vessel is fitted with three 3,000kW azimuthing thrusters, three 2,500kW bow thrusters, a DP2 system, and a crane with a lifting capacity of 5,000 tonnes when stationary and 3,500 tonnes when freely rotating. The crane has a maximum lifting height of 130 metres (430 feet) above the vessel’s main deck, allowing it to easily install large offshore structures and steel bridge segments.

The DP2 system operating in conjunction with the thrusters ensures that the vessel satisfies the requirements for anchoring, positioning, and lifting under a broad range of sea conditions in offshore areas with water depths of up to 100 metres (330 feet). This capability means the vessel can perform offshore installation within a greater operational safety window, thus allowing projects to be completed in less time and with fewer logistical requirements.

When used for propulsion, the three azimuthing thrusters enable the vessel to achieve a service speed of eight knots.

Designed to ensure optimised energy use

A power management system is also fitted to ensure that the generators will continue to operate within a safe threshold even with sustained use of the crane and the other essential machinery.

Tiejian Qizhong 5000 was built in compliance with China Classification Society requirements.