Giant jack-up barge arrives at Portsmouth naval base

OverWater has won a contract for the maintenance of a 3,000-tonne barge at Portsmouth Naval Base.

Marine firm OverWater, which is part of The SMS Group, will support KBS Maritime via the new, state-of-the-art jack-up barge called the Typhoon 3000.

It is a semi-submersible jack-up barge which can also be utilised as a dry dock, lift platform or transport barge. 

Dave Chaffers, general manager for The SMS Group, said: “The principal purpose of the barge is to obviously support the Royal Navy.

“But by working in close partnership with the various stakeholders we look forward to commercialising the jack-up not only within the Solent but also within UK and European waters. 

“She offers immense capability to the marine civils, dry dock, and commercial refit and repair markets; not to mention the heavy lift, and ports and harbours sectors. 

“As a jack-up she’s definitely a premium solution and tremendously capable.”

KBS Maritime is a joint venture between infrastructure asset management and services provider KBR and BAE Systems.  

It delivers ambitious, modern and enduring change to the Portsmouth base infrastructure and provides world-leading fleet support for the Royal Navy and the UK.

OverWater is based at Complex No:1, Building 2-110, Fleetway, HMNB Portsmouth.

The SMS Group is headquartered at Western Docks, in the port of Southampton, and has eight sites around the UK.