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New heights in heavy lifting: Largest vessel built by Sembcorp Marine

The Straits Times' executive photojournalist Alphonsus Chern tours the largest vessel built by local shipyard Sembcorp Marine ahead of its christening ceremony later this week

Workers are dwarfed by the Sleipnir's eight column legs, each 23.75m tall. The legs conceal the ballast tanks, which take in or release sea water to adjust the vessel's draft (the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull), a
The two tub-mounted cranes on the Sleipnir each weigh 8,950 tonnes and use approximately 33km of braided steel cable that is 72mm thick. Each crane can rotate 360 degrees and comes with three hoists - the main hoist being able to lift a 10,000-tonne load to a height of 129m. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Workers are dwarfed by the Sleipnir's eight column legs, each 23.75m tall. The legs conceal the ballast tanks, which take in or release sea water to adjust the vessel's draft (the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull), a
The Sleipnir moored at one of the finger piers in the Sembcorp Marine Tuas Boulevard Yard. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
The Sleipnir's 12 dual-fuel engines can run on marine gas oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), one of the cleanest fuels known today. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Workers are dwarfed by the Sleipnir's eight column legs, each 23.75m tall. The legs conceal the ballast tanks, which take in or release sea water to adjust the vessel's draft (the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull), and the LNG tanks. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
The Sleipnir's living quarters comprise five executive, 45 single and 175 double cabins. There is also a dining hall that can hold up to 200 people at a time and a laundry room that has six large washing machines and six tumble dryers. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Crane operator Johan Schonenberg in the crane cabin control room piloting one of the tub-mounted heavy lift cranes. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Workers applying grease to one of the 1,100 steel bolts used to secure the crane house to its foundation. Each bolt is 82mm in diameter and weighs over 40kg. Each crane tub, among the largest in the world, is 30m in diameter and houses all the machinery and electric equipment needed to operate the massive crane. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
The exhaust stacks on the Sleipnir. The vessel is powered by 12 engines, each capable of generating 8MW of electrical power at 11,000 volts, enough to supply a typical European city of 200,000 inhabitants. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Within each of the eight column legs is a staircase that spans the distance between the pontoons and the deck high above the water.
ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Alphonsus Chern
Updated
May 20, 2019, 07:07 AM
Published
May 20, 2019, 05:00 AM
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In 13th century Norse mythology, Sleipnir is the eight-legged horse of the god Odin known for its strength, courage and speed.

Today, the steed's namesake looms larger than life at a yard in south-western Singapore.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 20, 2019, with the headline New heights in heavy lifting: Largest vessel built by Sembcorp Marine. Subscribe

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