A&P Group has won a contract with an important new client, P&O Maritime Services, carrying out conversion work on the company’s impressive European Supporter cable-laying vessel.

The Group’s Hebburn yard has carried out numerous repairs and refurbishments for P&O Ferries but this is their first commission from Australian-based P&O Maritime Services.

Martin Robertson, Sales & Marketing Manager at A&P Tyne, said: “This is our first Australian client. We’ve done lots of work on P&O ferries over the years and it’s great to win more work from another part of the P&O business.”

The European Supporter has been equipped to install power cables between wind turbines to take advantage of the rapidly expanding offshore renewables market in the UK and Europe.

The 106 metre long vessel is equipped to perform a wide variety of installation, cable handling and burial tasks for the offshore renewables, telecommunications and oil and gas sectors.

A&P manufactured and installed a 7 metre long, abrasion-resistant steel chute onto the vessel’s stern, from which cables are lowered onto the sea bed.

Other work included a major overhaul of the generators, modifications to the steelwork inside the hangar accommodating the robotically operated vehicles (ROVs) and to the switchboard, electrical repairs and refurbishment of the pumps.

The European Supporter has the capacity to accommodate 5000 tons of power cable in two static tanks, using a newly installed power cable loading arm.

A&P Tyne Project Manager Paul Baker said: “The European Supporter is fairly unique, there are only certain vessels around the world capable of doing the work she is equipped to do.

“The job has gone well and is still on-going – it shows what A&P can offer, not just to P&O Maritime Services but to customers throughout the renewable industry. There are a lot of companies now converting vessels for multiple roles to meet the needs of the renewable energy sector and we can turn our hand to any fabrication work.”

Martin Robertson added: “The vessel is still here, the job has gone really well and everyone is extremely happy, including the client.

“The European Supporter reflects how P&O Maritime Services and other companies are converting vessels so they can work in the offshore wind sector, which will be a major development in the North Sea.

“We are ideally placed to service that offshore wind sector and there’s a lot going on at the yard in terms of investment and development in relation to that.”

Source: A&P Group, June 20 , 2011;