Offshore staff
KONGSBERG, Norway – China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) has contracted Kongsberg Maritime to design and equip two construction service operation vessels for Awind, a subsidiary of Integrated Wind Solutions.
The contract value is close to NOK250 million ($30 million).
CMHI will contract both vessels, which will operate in the offshore wind sector, to Kongsberg Maritime’s UT 5519 DE design, with a focus on reduced emissions. They are due to be delivered in 2023.
Kongsberg Maritime will supply equipment including permanent magnet azimuth thrusters, generators, electrical systems, an integrated bridge with navigation, DP and automation, deck machinery kit and control systems.
The UT 5519 DE’s novel hull form and propulsion set-up incorporates operating experience from the company’s wind farm service vessel designs.
Propulsion is supplied by four KM type US 255 L azimuth thrusters, two forward and two aft, powered via the vertically mounted permanent magnet electric motors.
This set-up is said to deliver the maneuverability and station keeping capability required for vessels visiting many wind turbines each day, typically involving close quarters maneuvering, station keeping, and short transits.
The hybrid power system features energy storage and a DC main switchboard providing spinning reserve, actively delivering efficiencies during vessel operation in the form of peak shaving, power boost and short-term battery operation. These actions are said to minimize the number of generators running and to optimize fuel efficiency.
Generator sets are variable RPM, allowing optimization of fuel consumption even at low loads.
Other features include underwater noise covered by the DNV Silent(E) class notation, and accommodation for up to 120 persons.
06/11/2021
