Alewijnse Maintains Turbine Installation Vessel

Alewijnse Marine Systems, the well-known system integrator, is playing a significant role in the maintenance of the turbine installation vessel MPI Resolution, owned by Vroon Group’s MPI Offshore. Built in 2003, MPI Resolution arrived on March 11 at the Damen Arno Dunkerque shipyard, where the work will take place.

Its role in MPI Resolution’s mandatory maintenance requires Alewijnse to work on the vessel’s electrical systems including the alternators and electric motors. Two auxiliary alternators, four main alternators and twelve electric motors will be overhauled in a special workshop in the Netherlands. The reconditioning service includes the electric isolation of the units, their disconnection and reconnection, and their transport from and to the shipyard.

The order will be carried out by an experienced team of service engineers from Alewijnse Marine Rotterdam, within a time frame of five weeks. Alewijnse has recently undertaken a number of similar maintenance projects at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen, where Alewijnse has a permanent service and maintenance facility.

“To perform the maintenance for the key electrical components on this sophisticated vessel is a valuable vote of confidence in Alewijnse and its capabilities,” said Alewijnse Marine Rotterdam Contract Manager Yuri Nieuwenhuizen. “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to demonstrate to Damen Arno Dunkerque the capabilities that we have employed in recent years at Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen. Our ability to deploy the right numbers of staff with the right skills to wherever they are required gives clients like Damen the reassurance that their exact needs will always be met, at the agreed quality and pricing levels.”

MPI Resolution (formerly TIV Mayflower Resolution) is a turbine installation vessel designed to install turbines at offshore wind farms. She was the first self-elevating turbine installation vessel in the world.  Using hydraulics, she can raise herself on her six legs to between 3 meters (10 ft) and 46 meters (151 ft) above the surface of the sea to provide a stable platform when undertaking installations. The vessel can carry and install up to ten turbines at a time. MPI Resolution was designed for use in the North Sea, although she can be deployed elsewhere if required.

MPI Resolution will be maintained at Arno Dunkerque, part of Damen Shipyards Group since December 2012. Damen Arno Dunkerque is the only ship repair and conversion facility in the Port of Dunkirk, France’s third largest harbor.  MPI Offshore BV is part of the international shipping company Vroon Group, which has its headquarters in Breskens. The wind offshore-support activities of the Vroon Group operate under the MPI banner.

Alewijnse and Damen Arno Dunkerque look forward to undertaking further projects together in the near future based on the unique partnership between Alewijnse and Damen.