Our Services – Marine Services NEPTUNE ENERGY PARK DEEP WATER TEST TANK

In 2021 Shepherd Offshore completed the Deep Water Test Tank at what used to be the Neptune Dry Dock. The structure is comprised of two reinforced concrete retaining walls extending over 56 meters in length, 38 meters wide and a depth of up to 12 meters. This would give the Deep Water Test Tank a 23,600m³ of water volume and support by developed infrastructure-heavy lift capabilities and services on each side.

Positioned within a world-class manufacturing cluster, the Deep Water Test Tank is of strategic national interest. Neptune Energy Park offers a vast supportive infrastructure, ensuring high levels of on-sight capacity, as well as capability.

At-a-glance

Deep Water Test Tank/ Berthing facilities

• Test Tank 56m x 38m
• Over 750 metres of berthing facilities
• Over 30,000 m ² of an adjacent concrete operational support area
• Controlled access and egress
• Heavy load bearing capability adjacent to deep water test tank
• Heavy loadout quayside up to 700T lift capacity
• In-house logistics, fabrication, rigging, plant, and cranage support on site
• On-site warehousing and support areas
• Dockside and facility cranage up to 800 tonnes capability
• Mobile cranage up to 250T
• Forklift capacity up to 32T
• Marine support arrival and embarkation teams
• Project management teams
• Dedicated project offices, which include Internet connections, toilets and dedicated car parking.
• ISPS security approved

A multi-million pound upgrade of the Deep Water Test Tank has included a new, adjacent concrete support area of over 52,000m ² that provides opportunities for high-value, load-bearing servicing projects.

Specific Dry dock Characteristics 

• Length along: 56m
• Width Along: 38m
• Depth: 12m
• Volume: 23,600m³
• Rate of Extraction from the river at 300 Litres per second
• Maximum Volume extracted per hour 1,080m³ up to 11 hours per day
• Annually a 1,227,200m3 can be extracted equating to 52 times a year

Experienced project support

Deep Water Test Tanks of this type and scale are critical to global industry and play an influential role in defining the UK’s capabilities to service key sectors – including the energy sectors, oil and gas, large scale construction projects, and offshore renewables and decommissioning.

The expansion of our Neptune Energy Park facility has expanded our service offering, providing greater flexibility and allowing our clients to take on complex projects at the speed and standard that they deserve.

Now we offer two capabilities within our Deep Water Test Tank, utilising the lifting infrastructure to either drop tests into a full body of water or setting up the test and then filling within our methodology.

Our Deep Water Test Tank can accommodate

• Subsea tests and demonstrations
• Engineering, fabrication, research and development work
• Large & small scale construction and infrastructure projects

Neptune Energy Park has contributed to some amazing projects in the past. In 2017, EDF and BAM Nuttal used the dry dock to build the world’s first bespoke wind turbine gravity bases “GBF’s”  and this was a huge success to all teams involved. Now it is time for the next chapter in unique facilites offered in this world class Energy Cluster on the river Tyne. 

Shepherd Offshore’s plan is to remain supportive to the River Tyne North Bank Strategic Development Framework Plan (SDFP) by continuing to develop critical infrastructure and capacity. We believe the Deep Water Test Tank will continue to enhance the Neptune Energy Park facility and the regions expertise. Consequently, attracting even more businesses across sectors. Shepherd Offshore working with NELEP and NECA furthermore show a region unified, working harmoniously for growth in skills and expertise.”

Charles Shepherd, Managing Director

With a successful recent history of high profile projects using the facility, the capabilities and experience of our teams are exceptional.

Security

Neptune Energy Park Deep Water Test Tank is located within Wallsend and has manned access points and patrolled security. In addition, the site has numerous internal security controls, supported by secure two-metre-high perimeter fencing and established ISPS certification and procedures, with dedicated security processes when required.