Van Oord Stornes
- Amalie Eilertsen
- for 23 timer siden
- 2 min lesing
270 people and countless moving parts!
A Complex Operation
When the Van Oord Stornes arrived at our yard, it was clear this would be no ordinary job. Stornes is a flexible fallpipe vessel — a highly specialised ship designed to place rock on the seabed, forming the foundations for offshore wind turbines and other subsea structures. A class survey on a vessel like this requires careful coordination across many disciplines and a lot of moving parts.
It Started with a 240-Tonne Lift
Before Stornes could enter the dock, an enormous piece of deck equipment had to be removed — a 240-tonne rig, 70 metres long, 8 metres wide and 5 metres high.
The lift was carried out at the Port of Kristiansand in close collaboration with Crane Norway and TMH Kran & Transport and Transport Agder. With three cranes operating simultaneously and a load of that size, preparation was everything.
Our Project Manager, Thomas Dahl, explains:
"This type of lift involves high risk due to simultaneous operations with three cranes and the significant weight involved. Thorough preparation related to risk assessment and the positioning of lifting equipment is therefore essential."
With everything in place, the lift was completed and Stornes proceeded to our dock for reclassification.
The structure that was lifted off is the ship's fallpipe rig — a system for storing and deploying a special type of pipe known as a "bucket." Individual sections are connected to form a long pipe through which rock is transported via a conveyor belt. The pipe can be steered underwater, guiding rock precisely to where it needs to be placed on the seabed.
During the yard stay, the rig was dismantled, reinforced where needed, sandblasted, and repainted before being remounted on the vessel.
270 People Over Several Weeks
At peak, 270 people were working on the project — our own team alongside Van Oord's crew, and a range of partners and subcontractors. Keeping everything moving in the same direction, on schedule, required close coordination throughout.
Back Together and Ready to Go
With the survey complete, Stornes returned to the Port of Kristiansand for the final stage: remounting the rig. The same structure that had been lifted off weeks earlier — now sandblasted, repaired, and repainted — was hoisted back into position.
Stornes is ready to return to work, laying the foundations for offshore infrastructure wherever she's needed next.
Thank you to Van Oord, all partners, and subcontractors involved.
