DEME’s LNG-powered offshore multipurpose vessel, the Living Stone has caught fire on Thursday while under construction in a shipyard in Spain’s port town of Santurtzi.

According to local media reports, the fire started on Thursday at around 4:55 PM local time, and was put out at around 5:20 PM.

“There was a small fire on the Living Stone caused by hot works. Thanks to the efficient emergency procedure and swift reaction of our people working on board, the fire was contained quickly by our own teams,” a DEME spokeswoman told LNG World News in an emailed comment on Friday.

Three people got treated on site for smoke inhalation. No people were injured or taken to hospital, the spokeswoman said.

According to DEME, the damage to the vessel was minor and works on the vessel resumed on Thursday.

The Living Stone, that is expected to be able to accommodate a crew of up to 100 persons, is powered by dual-fuel engines with LNG being the primary fuel.

The vessel, to be deployed by DEME’s unit Tideway, was scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2017 by La Naval.

However, as the financially-troubled Spanish shipbuilder could not keep its contractual obligations, Belgian dredging specialist DEME moved the vessel in September 2017 from Bilbao to Santurtzi.

“Delivery is still scheduled for summer 2018, as planned,” the spokeswoman said.

(Article updated on 16.02. to add a comment by a DEME spokeswoman)

LNG World News Staff