"Innovation" at the Port of Gdansk

01.08.2012

The Ferry Terminal, situated at the feet of the Memorial to the Defenders of Westerplatte, witnessed a rare celebration on 31 July 2012 when a German flag was hoisted on a newly built and highly exceptional ship suited to erecting wind towers.

The day marked a double success for the Gdansk-based ship building company "CRIST". The completion of the contract to build this exceptional vessel will undoubtedly give a boost to the worldwide promotion of the shipyard which has at the same time won the recognition from the European Commission. The company has operated on the Gdansk Port grounds for more than 20 years. In 2010 it purchased - with the financial support from the Industrial Development Agency - the material assets of the Gdynia Shipyard property, Following the long running analysis, Brussels has eventually confirmed that this loan is not to be regarded as "state aid" as construed by the EU regulations. Consequently, "CRIST" can now focus entirely on taking advantage of its production potential.

The shipyard came into being as an initiative launched by two engineers: Ireneusz Cwirko and Krzysztof Kulczycki. To date, it has specialized in building so-called technical vessels, filling the niche that was outside of the priority interest of ship building tycoons in the Far East. "CRIST" has already won recognition not only from the domestic shipping companies, but also in the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Denmark, France, Finland, Island and the United States. However, never before has it been challenged with such a spectacular task as the one from HGO Infra Sea Solutions (a project jointly ventured by the German construction concern Hochtief and the Belgian company GeoSea). "Heavy Lift Jack Up Vessel Innovation" is a combination of a hydrotechnical vessel equipped with a crane system with a lifting capacity of 1.5 thousand tonnes and a drilling ridge fitted with a landing for helicopters. It is 147 metres long and 42 metres wide. The length of its legs enables its operation on waters of up to 50 metres in depth. Such parameters make it possible for the crew of "Innovation" to erect as many as 40 increasingly popular wind turbines a year.

The "CRIST" shipyard has already launched the construction of another such vessel suited to erecting and maintaining wind farms to the order of the same shipping company. The "Vidar" is due to completion next year.

Janusz Kasprowicz, PGA SA PR Officer