Shrink Wrapping a 20-Metre Offshore Module for a 12,500 Nautical Mile Sea Voyage

Industrial Transport Covers | Offshore Oil & Gas

Video: Watch the installation — shrink wrapping a 20-metre offshore module for a 12,500 nautical mile sea voyage, Rotterdam

Key Facts

• Client: Offshore oil & gas manufacturer, Netherlands (Veolia / Hollasea)
• Material: Rhino 300 micron flame retardant shrink wrap + plastic mesh system
• Module dimensions: 19m long x 17m wide x 20m high
• Journey: Rotterdam, Netherlands to Okpo, South Korea — 12,500 nautical miles
• Duration at sea: Approximately 52 days
• Route: North Atlantic and Indian Ocean
• Wind load designed for: Force 10 storm — 48–55 knots

The Problem

An offshore oil and gas manufacturer in the Netherlands needed to ship a completed process module from Rotterdam to South Korea a journey of 12,500 nautical miles through the North Atlantic and across the Indian Ocean, taking approximately 52 days at sea.

The module measured 19m long x 17m wide x 20m high. At that scale it could not be enclosed within the hold of any transport vessel and would spend the entire voyage fully exposed to open ocean weather conditions. A Force 10 storm wind of 48–55 knots exerts a force of 0.77 kN/m² on a surface applied across a single face of this module, that equates to a wind load of around 300 kN, or the equivalent of 30 tonnes of force.

Any covering that could not withstand that load and crucially, that could not resist the suction and lift created as wind passes across the sheeting would fail catastrophically at sea with no possibility of repair.

The module's roof presented a further challenge: a highly complex arrangement of vessels, pipes, valves and structural elements at varying heights, with large open voids where the sheeting would have minimal structural support.

The Solution

Rhino first demonstrated the encapsulation concept to the client by travelling to Rotterdam and shrink wrapping a scaffold tower. Following this proof of concept, Rhino were awarded the contract to provide materials, equipment and labour for the full encapsulation in Rotterdam.

The key engineering decision was the mesh-and-tie system. Standard shrink wrap installation relies on the structure beneath providing support against wind loads. On this module, large open voids meant areas of sheeting would have no structural backing.

To address this, a heavy duty plastic mesh was installed across all six faces of the module before the shrink wrap was applied. Once the sheeting was heat-shrunk drum-tight, Velcro ties were installed every 1 square metre threaded through the shrink wrap and around the mesh beneath, then sealed with a taped patch.

The 300 micron flame retardant shrink wrap was specified for its tensile strength and elasticity. Lower grade films may withstand initial wind loading but become loose and baggy over time, beginning to flap and eventually self-destructing. The 300 micron grade is engineered to rebound under load and remain tight throughout.

The Installation Sequence

• Sharp edges and contact points padded with foam fixed using Rhino Patch Tape
• Roof strapping system tensioned to create the correct drainage falls
• Mesh cut to size and secured to all six faces using woven strapping
• Shrink wrap sheeting, 7m wide x 15m long rolls, hung, overlapped 30–40cm, and heat-welded
• Horizontal joints lapped tile-fashion to shed water
• All welds taped internally and externally with 100mm Rhino Patch Tape
• Sheeting heat-shrunk drum-tight across the entire module
• Velcro ties installed at 1m² centres through sheeting and around mesh
• Each tie sealed with a 100mm taped patch

Working on the roof required cherry pickers, scissor lifts, and a man basket suspended from the overhead factory crane. With a hard sailing date approaching and multiple trades still working on the module, the installation team switched to night shifts for several days to maintain progress alongside other contractors.

Where last minute modifications required sections of the cover to be removed, the shrink wrap was cut and re-sealed by welding a patch over the affected area.

The Result

The module left Rotterdam fully encapsulated and loaded onto the heavy lift vessel. It completed the 12,500 nautical mile voyage through the North Atlantic and Indian Ocean, arriving in South Korea after approximately 52 days at sea with the cover intact and the module protected.

The mesh-and-Velcro-tie system proved effective against both wind pressure and suction loading in open ocean conditions. The ability to cut and re-seal the shrink wrap cover during the final stages of module completion something impossible with a fabricated tarpaulin cover allowed the team to accommodate last-minute access requirements without compromising the finished encapsulation.

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