Drydocks World-Dubai has installed a trial version of a Grounding Avoidance System on the 46,803-tonne oil tanker, British Tenacity for BP Shipping. The installation of such a system on a sea vessel is an industry first.

Personnel from Drydocks World-Dubai worked for 12 days to modify British Tenacity's bow and fabricate the structures required to accommodate the system's transducers and a new Navigation Display System on the vessel. Drydocks World-Dubai's advanced fabrication workshop, one of the largest of its kind in the region, used approximately 11 tonnes of Grade A steel to fabricate the refurbished bow area.

The Grounding Avoidance System, developed by Marine Electronics Ltd. in conjunction with BP Shipping, is a three-dimensional, forward-looking sonar system that helps identify obstacles anywhere in the water column up to a range of one kilometre.

Nawal Saigal, Managing Director, Drydocks World - Dubai, said: "This is a proud moment for us. The cooperation with BP Shipping in installing the advanced Grounding Avoidance System was a unique opportunity for Drydocks World-Dubai to prove its capability in handling complex and sophisticated engineering assignments. The forthcoming Nor-Shipping 2009 in Oslo, offers an important platform for Drydocks World to highlight this achievement and many more across our yards."

Tags: Drydocks World