CIMC Raffles selects Huisman for heavy lifting package on Solstad-SBM joint venture vessel

Dutch equipment manufacturer Huisman has secured a contract from Chinese shipbuilder CIMC Raffles Offshore to supply an integrated offshore lifting and subsea handling package. The equipment will equip a next-generation deepwater installation vessel under construction for a joint venture between Solstad Offshore and SBM Offshore, supporting global deepwater operations.

Dutch heavy machinery manufacturer Huisman has been awarded an equipment supply contract by Yantai-based shipbuilder CIMC Raffles Offshore to deliver an integrated offshore lifting and handling system, according to official disclosures. The hardware package will be installed on a newbuild deepwater offshore installation vessel commissioned by a joint venture between Norwegian vessel operator Solstad Offshore and Netherlands-based floating production specialist SBM Offshore. Headquartered in Schiedam, Netherlands, Huisman specializes in designing and manufacturing heavy-lifting machinery, cranes, and subsea installation equipment for energy and marine industries. CIMC Raffles Offshore is a major Chinese engineering and shipbuilding group specializing in complex offshore platform and specialized vessel construction, while Solstad Offshore operates a global fleet of offshore service vessels and SBM Offshore designs and operates floating production, storage, and offloading systems.

The contract scope encompasses the engineering and delivery of a 350-metric-ton A-frame system equipped with active heave compensation technology, a 500-metric-ton knuckle boom crane, a 20-metric-ton auxiliary crane, and a 2,500-metric-ton carousel basket engineered to store fiber ropes, mooring chains, and flexibles. Integrating active heave compensation into the primary winch package allows subsea deployment mechanisms to counteract wave motion, stabilizing heavy loads during subsea installation in adverse weather conditions. The combination of high-capacity cranes and specialized storage systems provides the vessel with versatile handling capabilities required for deepwater field development, mooring deployment, and subsea infrastructure construction across international offshore basins.

The procurement decision highlights ongoing capital expenditure in next-generation, multipurpose subsea construction vessels tailored for ultra-deepwater energy projects. As offshore energy exploration and production activities move into deeper waters and harsher marine environments, energy operators require specialized installation tonnage equipped with high-capacity, automated handling systems. Furthermore, the collaboration between European offshore equipment designers, a Chinese shipbuilding yard, and a joint venture of Norwegian and Dutch offshore operators underscores the global supply chain interdependence within the marine engineering and offshore oil and gas sectors.

For vessel operators and offshore energy investors, the joint venture model between Solstad Offshore and SBM Offshore allows shared capital risk while building high-specification tonnage capable of executing complex subsea tasks. For Huisman, the order expands its market footprint across the European and Scandinavian offshore sectors while reinforcing long-standing commercial ties with Chinese shipyards. As subsea intervention, field decommissioning, and deepwater floating wind projects gain momentum worldwide, high-spec installation vessels equipped with advanced active heave compensated cranes are expected to maintain strong charter demand and operational utilization rates.