Greater ChinaOffshoreShipyards

Typhoon damages ships under construction in China

Typhoon Muifa, the greatest storm to hit the Yangtze River Delta on record, has resulted in damage to vessels under construction.

The typhoon, which saw millions head to shelter last week, registered wind speeds of up to 215 kmh.

Among facilities hit from the storm was Cosco Shipyard’s Qidong yard where a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit and a wind-turbine jack-up vessel were both damaged.

The mooring lines of an FPSO being built for US-listed Kosmos Energy became compromised, resulting in the vessel drifting approximately 200 m off the quayside. The cost of returning the vessel to the quayside and any potential damage is expected to be covered by insurance.

Jan De Nul’s wind-turbine jack-up vessel, Voltaire, under construction at the same yard also sustained damage as it came loose from its moorings. The helideck and certain parts of the crane will require repairs.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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