Osprey Group’s new barges ready ahead of schedule
Osprey announces that its extended barge fleet is ready several months ahead of schedule and already taking on project bookings. Ideal for work supporting construction projects, renewables and oil and gas industries, Osprey Bouwer and Osprey Fabrique both have high deck strengths specifically suited to over-sized, heavy cargoes – adding welcome extra capacity to the UK’s largest, independently-owned barge fleet.
Osprey commissioned the two new barges in March 2020. The two new vessels extend the business’s inventory by much-needed capacity and capability – the off-shore fleet already includes ocean-going barges for deep-sea programmes anywhere in the world, ice-ships, and smaller vessels that make innovative use of inland waterways and lock systems in the UK and Europe.
While Osprey Bouwer and Osprey Fabrique were expected in early 2021, they will both be delivered several months ahead of schedule.
Michael Tetro, Managing Director of Osprey Marine Services: “We have an excellent working relationship with TABmarine, who are supplying these vessels. We are delighted to say this early delivery puts us in a position to offer increased levels of support to our key clients in France, Morocco and the Eastern Mediterranean, and to open up our barge proposition too.”
The two new barges are both 50 meters long, with a beam of 18.8 meter and a depth of 3 meters. The ABS ‘unrestricted sailing area’ classified barges will have a completely flush 20T/m2 strong deck, equipped with two 23-metre spud poles. In short, they will be ideal for load outs, interconnection projects, demobs, and all kinds of barge commissions.
The £3m contract is a huge commitment to supporting industries that transport over-sized and superheavy equipment to, from, and around the UK. Port-to-port, port-to-offshore, offshore-to-onshore – factory to foundation – Osprey supplies specialist logistics to the renewables sector, oil and gas, the nuclear construction industries and for large civil infrastructure projects.
