MPU Offshore Lift ASA (MPU) has entered into a contract with a Dutch joint-venture consisting of companies Van Hattum en Blankevoort BV (VHB) and BAM Civiel BV (BAM) for the construction of the concrete hull of the MPU Heavy Lifter.
The concrete construction will take place in the dry-dock of Keppel Verolme in Rotterdam commenced 1st July 2007. The contract value is about E55million.
MPU has had a close cooperation with VHB for the last three years. MPU is hence pleased to see that the concrete hull is going to be built by them together with BAM. They are both well reputed contractors who have taken part in the construction of offshore concrete structures in the past.
Since mid December MPU has worked together with the contractors to test and document the LWAC concrete to be used and a mock-up test has been successfully casted and tested under the supervision of experts from Sintef in Norway and Intron and the University of Delft in the Netherlands.
With the conclusion of this second major contract, the contracts for the construction of the MPU Heavy Lifter are in place, the first vessel that has been tailor made for single lift removal and installation of platforms in the North Sea and World-wide.
The first contract for the outfitting of the vessel was signed
14th December 2006 with Keppel Verolme BV, a contract totalling some E165million. Detail design and engineering are on schedule and the vessel is to be delivered from the yard mid-January 2009.
The contracts total some E220million, which is within the anticipated range according to the premises for the funding raised late 2006.
For MPU this concludes a long period, eight years, of conceptual development, model tank testing, design and verifications. MPU is pleased that by the signing of these contracts MPU has everything in place, hence we are now very pleased to have raised the necessary funding to enter into a building contract with Keppel Verolme.

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