MPI RESOLUTION SET FOR CRANE UPGRADE


Thursday, 15 April 2010



PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, 15 April 2010

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MPI WORKBOATS EXERCISED OPTION FOR FURTHER WORKBOAT

MPI Offshore and Centrica, long-term charterers of the wind turbine installation vessel “MPI Resolution”, have reached agreement to upgrade the main crane onboard the vessel. The upgrade works will see the installation of a 600-tonne-capacity crane, which will replace the existing 300-tonne crane. The new crane has been designed to make lifts of up to 600 tonnes and to a height of around 100 metres and will prepare “MPI Resolution” for the challenges of the next generation of offshore wind farm projects.

The new crane, a state-of-the-art, all-electric, pedestal-mounted crane is currently being constructed by the Dutch-based firm Huisman Equipment B.V., located in Schiedam.

The upgrade works are scheduled for completion during the first quarter of 2011, following which the 600-tonne crane will “cuts its teeth” off the UK’s Lincolnshire coast during the installation of foundation components for the Lincs Wind Farm Project, a 270MW development, eight kilometres (five miles) off the Lincolnshire coastline, east of Skegness.

Paul Gibson, Chairman of MPI Offshore said, “The upgrade of Resolution’s main crane is part of the vessel’s evolution to meet the needs of the next decade of offshore wind farm construction. This upgrade, coupled with the arrival in the North Sea of our two new build installation vessels in 2011, will serve to maintain our position as first-choice installation solution for offshore wind throughout Europe and the rest of the world.”

The year 2011 will certainly be an auspicious one for MPI Offshore. “MPI Adventure”, the first of two state-of-the art wind turbine installation vessels, currently under construction at the Cosco Nantong Shipyard in China, will arrive in European waters in the first quarter of the year. The second vessel, “MPI Discovery”, will follow during the third quarter.

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Notes to editors:

Technical Details:Designed specifically for MPI Workboats Ltd the South Catamaran 17m LS is a radical development over existing models to cover a multitude of roles demanded by wind farm site owner and operators. This brand new hull form features additional structure and freeboard to increase cargo carrying capacity and to sustain a heavier inbuilt specification. These vessels feature an integrated 690V 3-Phase Star Neutral output 150kVA generator set, fuel transfer and delivery system with 40m of pressure head and hose reel and a pressure washer system to enable the craft to fulfil a multiplicity of different tasks through the different stages of construction and O&M of a wind farm. With a displacement of 30 tonnes, this 17.5m vessel with its Ultra Dynamics UJ452 water jet units can generate very high thrust levels for safe manoeuvring and station keeping coupled to over 5 tonnes of bollard push when against a Transition Piece.

MPI Offshore, based in Stokesley, UK, has been pioneering the offshore wind turbine installation business since 2003, when the first dedicated wind turbine installation vessel was delivered: MPI Resolution. Over the past seven years MPI has been involved in numerous wind farm construction projects, including those on Barrow and Robin Rigg. During 2008, the company decided to invest USD 550 million in two state-of-the art wind turbine installation vessels, currently under construction at the Cosco Nantong Shipyard in China. For more information on MPI and its wide-ranging capabilities please visit: www.mpi-offshore.com MPI is a subsidiary of Vroon Group, a Dutch-based, diversified ship-owning group with an extensive North Sea offshore fleet. For more information please visit: www.vroon.nl.

For more information contact: For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release, contact;
Name: Peter Conlon
Title:Commercial Manager
Address: 1st Floor, Resolution House, 18 Eller beck Court
Stokesley Business Park
Stokesley
North Yorkshire
TS9 5PT
United Kingdom
Phone No:+44 (0)1642 742 200
Fax:+44 (0)1642 714 921
E-Mail:peter.conlon@mpi-offshore.com
Website:www.mpi-offshore.com


MPI Resolution



Graph showing comparison between existing and new cranes capacity