Evolution and innovation drive efficiency and green credentials among the OSV fleet
‘Best in class’ battery-hybrid PSV
Canadian OSV owner acquires newbuild hull for bargain price
Atlantic Harrier will join Atlantic Towing Limited’s fleet in 2020, after the Canadian owner struck a deal with Norway’s Havyard Ship Technology to buy a battery-hybrid-powered platform supply vessel (PSV).
The original contract for the 89.7-m PSV, Hull No 126, was signed in 2014 by Iceland’s Fafnir Offshore. Havyard cancelled the deal on 3 January 2017 after the buyer failed to pay additional predelivery installments to delay the vessel’s delivery as a result of the oil market slump.
The unfinished hull presented Atlantic Towing with an opportunity to grab a next-generation vessel at a bargain price.
Atlantic Towing general manager and vice president Gilles Gagnon was just as pleased by the deal. “This is an exciting next step in Atlantic Towing’s strategy to grow and continue meeting current and future demands of customers,” he said. Mr Gagnon said the vessel’s large cargo capacities, fuel efficiency and low-emissions propulsion made it a “best-in-class PSV”.
Based on a Havyard 833 WE design, Atlantic Harrier will have a length of 89.7 m, beam of 19.6 m, FiFi class 1, oil recovery and Nofo class notations. With a 1,002-m2 deck area and accommodation for 54, Atlantic Harrier will possess an Ice Class 1B notation, making it capable of operating in both the North Atlantic and North Sea.
Atlantic Harrier will be equipped with a hybrid battery-diesel-electric propulsion package, contra-rotating propulsion drives, Clean Design notation, and Tier III-compliant engines. It will utilise 650 kW of installed battery power to fully optimise vessel operating modes to reduce fuel consumption during transit, dynamic positioning and standby activities.
Norwegian Electric Systems will deliver the vessel’s diesel-electric propulsion system, energy storage system and bridge, with the battery manufactured by Corvus Energy. Havyard will supply its own ballast water technology system. Havyard will deliver the vessel in April 2020.
Trio of multi-function ERRVs for the North Sea
Three new ERRVs will offer high levels of safety and cost savings
Cromarty Sentinel is one of a trio of newbuild multi-role emergency rescue and response vessels (ERRVs) ordered by Aberdeen-based OSV operator Sentinel Marine last year under a £36M (US$46M) contract.
Designed by Singapore-based Khiam Chuan Marine (KCM), Cromarty Sentinel and sister vessels Trafalgar Sentinel and Viking Sentinel are being built by China’s Fujian Southeast Shipyard for delivery for Q4 2020.
The trio will be an enhanced version of the proven KCM-designed ERRVs that Sentinel Marine has been operating in the North Sea over the past four years. One of the enhancements is increased DP capabilities with a DP2 class notation, a firefighting class 1 notation, along with oil recovery, liquid mud and dry bulk capacities.
Sentinel Marine chief executive Rory Deans says the company has one the youngest fleet of ERRVs in the North Sea, providing “offshore workers with the highest levels of protection and delivering excellent efficiencies and cost savings for operators.”
KCM naval architect Kristle Koh says most of the ERRVs designed by the firm are currently operating in the North Sea, including two main vessel designs: a 50 m pure ERRV and a 60 m multi-function ERRV. “All our vessels are optimised for crew comfort, going through rigorous tank testing up to Sea Stage 9 and also have anti-rolling tanks installed onboard,” says Mr Koh.
ERRVs’ main roles usually consist of standby duties near drilling platforms and fast response during emergency rescue/recovery situations, but in recent years, they have been tasked with additional duties such as in-field crew transfers, assisting in helicopter landing and take-off operations, and collision avoidance duties. As such, newer ERRVs have been designed to be multi-functional vessels that are easily adaptable to a variety of tasks, while still providing emergency aid when needed.
The latest ERRV designs for Sentinel Marine include azimuth thruster propulsion for improved manoeuvring, full supply capability of bulk cement and mud/brine tanks, in addition to the usual fuel oil and freshwater tanks, oil spill recovery function and a much larger clear deck cargo area compared to the earlier versions.
Green installation vessel can handle latest wind turbines
When delivered, new installation vessel will be put to the test working at Hornsea Two windfarm
Belgium’s DEME Offshore will transport and install 165 foundations and turbines for Ørsted’s Hornsea Two offshore windfarm in the UK. The monopiles and transition pieces will be installed by the company’s new dynamic positioning class 3 capable offshore installation vessel Orion, which will join its fleet by Q4 2019 following delivery from China’s COSCO shipyard. The installation vessel will have an overall length of 216.5 m, beam of 49 m, depth of 16.8 m and can accommodate a crew of up to 131. To be deployed by DEME subsidiary GeoSea to support offshore windfarm, oil and gas and decommissioning projects, Orion will be equipped with a mast crane that will have the capability to lift 3,000 tonnes at 50 m or 5,000 tonnes at 35 m radius. The loads can be lifted to over 170 m in height, allowing it to accommodate larger offshore structures.
With a free deck area of 8,000 m2 and maximum payload capacity of 30,000 tonnes, the vessel can take the heaviest monopiles, jackets, wind turbine components and structures in a single shipment. The combination of high load and lifting capacity gives Orion the capability to transport and install the next generation of giant multi-megawatt wind turbines. GeoSea managing director Luc Vandenbulcke says: “With Orion we will be uniquely positioned to meet the future requirements of our customers and the trend towards larger capacity turbines and bigger windfarm projects, delivering energy at lower costs.”
Built to DNV GL class, Orion will have a Green Passport and Clean Design notation. It will also have other environmental considerations on board, such as dual-fuel engines that allow it to operate on LNG and a waste heat recovery system that converts heat from the exhaust gases and cooling water to electrical energy.
Powerful, compact anchor handler with historic pedigree
Modern concept anchor-handling tug design incorporates safety and crew comfort features
Dutch ship design and marine consultancy OSD-IMT has developed a compact, powerful offshore tug design for towing and anchor-handling duties to support installation and decommissioning projects.
Designated the OSD-IMT7501, this compact offshore tug design, with a length of 51 m and a maximum bollard pull of 120 tonnes, is OSD-IMT’s modern interpretation of sister anchor handling tugs Tempest and Typhoon, designed by Wijsmuller Engineering BV and built in 1976.
To enhance onboard safety, OSD-IMT designed the freeboard of the working deck higher than on similar sized vessels, which gives a drier aft deck and adds to the vessel’s stability. Other safety elements include spacious technical and working spaces on board, which are well laid out to create a safe environment and allow for easy access to equipment. OSD-IMT also made the accommodation space large and comfortable, suitable for 14-20 crew to spend their off-watch time.
This new design also showcases OSD-IMT’s well known S-bow. Apart from being visually recognisable, the transverse profile of the S-bow can be amended to suit specific performance requirements. For the OSD-IMT7501 it provides finer waterline entry angles and offers smooth vessel motion, which results in greater crew comfort. The S-bow also sufficiently flares out towards the top, giving reserve buoyancy forward in rougher seas and providing a practical forecastle deck.
At the aft and midship sections of the vessel a knuckle has been introduced at the waterline. This gives a narrower waterline beam for reduced sailing resistance whilst also providing reserve buoyancy and added stability during anchor-handling duties or in case of heeling.
OSD-IMT says the concept design can be customised with alternative layouts or other power generation systems, such as battery-hybrid propulsion.
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