Aberdeen, United Kingdom– 4 December 2012
International diving equipment technology company Divex is pleased to announce the award of a multi-million pound contract to supply the Russian Admiralty with a saturation diving system.
Divex are to design, manufacture and supply a 450 metre rated deep saturation diving system for Divex Russian partners Tetis Pro; ultimately for the Russian Admiralty. The system, worth in excess of £10million, is to be installed in partnership between Divex and Tetis Pro on the Rescue Ship Igor Belousov.
The system is a unique design that accommodates 12 divers in saturation, allowing three-man bell excursions to depths of 450 msw to gain access to a stricken submarine. It also accommodates up to 60 rescued submariners in the chamber complex in the event that they require decompression following rescue.
The system comprises four accommodation chambers arranged around a central “transfer-under-pressure” chamber where the divers don their diving equipment and access the diving bell. These four chambers accommodate the divers at their equivalent working pressure, and provide decompression facilities for the rescued submariners.
Divex, who have built 100 major saturation diving systems since 1974, are to split manufacturing of the facility between two of their global locations. The system decompression chambers, diving bell and control system will be built in Divex facilities in Perth, Western Australia while the bell deployment, life support and gas management systems will be manufactured and supplied from Divex headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland, making the system a truly international project.
The Igor Belousov is planned to be commissioned into the Russian Navy in 2014. The need for such a vessel was emphasised by the Kursk tragedy in 2000.
Divex Joint Managing Director, Doug Godsman, travelled to Moscow to sign the contract and was met by his Russian counterpart Alexander Delyanov of Tetis Pro wearing a kilt in honour of the Russian / Scottish collaboration on this project.
Doug commented, “This is a prestigious project award for Divex and is testament to our design flexibility and track record in producing both commercial and military technical diving systems. We look forward to working with our Russian partners Tetis Pro and their client, the Russian Navy, on this project. The vessel will, on completion, offer a lifesaving capability in the event of a submarine accident and our employees can take pride in their endeavours to this end.”
Divex are situated at their headquarters in Westhill, Aberdeen, Scotland. Divex is recognised as the global industry leader in the design, supply, manufacture, research and development of diving and subsea equipment for the international commercial (offshore, inshore & onshore) anddefencediving, submarine rescue, hyperbaric medical and renewable energy markets.
