Kea Trader Project – New Caledonia
COES Caledonia (UK) Limited is the Dundee based UK subsidiary offshoot of the maritime giant China Ocean Engineering Shanghai (COES) also known historically known as Shanghai Salvage Co. The company has a track record of over 60 years successfully supporting the global marine salvage, construction, decommissioning, diving, subsea installation/removal and heavy lift operations.
Last year, the company beat off stiff international competition to be awarded a high-profile contract to salvage the wreck of the Kea Trader shipping vessel which grounded on a reef off the coast of New Caledonia in this French controlled region of the South Pacific.
The project is currently one of the most technically challenging ongoing international salvage operations, complicated by the delicate marine environment and hazardous sea conditions surrounding the ship. Operations were further hampered when two cyclones ripped the vessel in two, rendering it a total loss.
COES / SSC assembled seagoing resources and personnel in New Caledonia and began accurately assessing the wreck’s status. Comprehensive efforts were made to map the reef to ensure that environmental safeguards were maintained as work commenced. COES / SCC have a track record of successfully deploying innovative methodologies to complete some of the most complex international wreck recovery projects. This is also the case with the KEA TRADER project with the company having invested in the development of a novel gravity barge concept to complete the project which is currently ongoing.
COES / SSC has a worldwide fleet of over 50 specialised vessels which include 20 AHTS vessels, 9 ocean-going tugs, 8 offshore construction vessels with ocean going transport and lift capacity up to 4500 Tonne’s. The Group has recently invested circa $1 Billion investment in new state of the art vessels including a new Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Jack-Up Vessel.
This vessel will be a DP Class 2, Self-elevating & Self-propulsion Vessel with streamline bow, square stern and double bottom ship type for conducting worldwide operations. Its key features will include:
- Lifting capacity:1200t leg-around crane.
- DP2 System with three stern azimuth thrusters and three bow tunnel thrusters.
- Transport and install the foundation, tower support, machinery cabin and blade of Wind Turbine for offshore wind farm.
- Variable Design Load (VDL) not less than 5000t.
- Rescue and Salvage operations
Additionally, the Company has invested in two new semi-submersible heavy lift transportation vessels (picture insert below), key features of which include:
- Deck area: 5,300 Sqm
- Deadweight: 26,000t
- DP2 System with two stern tunnel thrusters and two bow tunnel thrusters
- Designed Speed: ≥ 14knots
- Lifting capacity for each vessel: 12,000t
- Total lifting capacity when two vessels working in pairs: 24,000t
