Shipbuilder at the forefront of fast vessel construction and innovation   

Strategic Marine is in a consortium with partners Cyan Renewables, PSA Marine, Bureau Veritas and others, shortlisted for working with Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) on design, construction and operation of electric harbour craft.

“We are developing new prototypes to replace harbour craft in Singapore,” says Mr Chan. “These support vessels will operate in Singapore transporting cargo and people to ships waiting offshore.”

Under MPA’s plans, these would be built by 2030 and be powered by electrification, biofuels and other alternative fuels to diesel. They could have large battery capacities and gensets as back-up.

SES is the next design for fast CTVs or FCBs in the offshore hydrocarbons and renewables industries for high-speed logistics and personnel transfers.

Strategic Marine is pioneering and building three of the first SESs for an undisclosed European client for operations in Angola, where they will transport crew and light cargo to floating production storage and offloading (FPSOs) vessels producing oil and gas from deepwater fields.

“These are for high-speed crew transfers, up to 50 knots, as a substitute to helicopters,” says Mr Chan. “And we are working closely with our designer for similar vessels operating in other sectors soon.”

The first of these 35-m, 80-passenger capacity vessels is due to be delivered in Q4 2024 and the other two by the end of this year.

“We are confident the Supa Swath vessels will greatly enhance Mainprize Offshore’s fleet”

The next generation of SESs for windfarm support CTVs have been designed by ESNA. A 27-m version was launched during Seawork, Southampton, in southern England, with interest from several owners. “It is a new idea, new technology with a lot of potential for high speeds,” says Mr Chan.

“It is a variant on a hovercraft and a catamaran, a new concept. Continuous air pressure lifts this vessel out of the water reducing resistance, and with waterjet propulsion it can reach over 40 knots.”

Contracts and completions

Strategic Marine has been flush with orders and newbuild deliveries this year. “The market is tight for vessel supply,” he continues. “The main markets remain the UK and Germany – with new markets growing in France, Poland, South Korea, Philippines, Japan and Australia.”

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs is the latest owner to return to Strategic Marine for CTVs. In July, it ordered another pair of StratCat 27 design, 27-m vessels to expand the fleet from five to seven high-specification vessels. These will be sister ships to 2023-built Acti’Vent and Esti’Vent and are expected to be delivered early 2025, each with capacity for 24 passengers.

At Seawork, in June 2024, Strategic Marine presented a Stratcat 27 series CTV Wolfpack Alpha before its delivery. It has two Caterpillar-manufactured Cat 32 engines, each with 1,041 kW, driving fixed pitch propellers, two Kohler 38-kW generators and two Hercules bow thrusters for heightened manoeuvrability. It has a beam of 9 m, a draught of 2 m fully loaded, a Furuno integrated bridge system and capacity to transport 24 passengers.

Mainprize Offshore is looking at a different design for its next generation of CTVs, and signed a memorandum of understanding with Strategic Marine for six newbuild Supa Swath vessels, with options for six more.

“Deliveries will start as early as Q3 2025. We are confident the Supa Swath vessels will greatly enhance Mainprize Offshore’s fleet and contribute to its continued success,” says Mr Chen. 

These have enhanced stability, fuel efficiency for significant cost savings, integrated navigation and communication technologies and versatility for supporting a wide range of maritime activities, including transport, offshore support and research.

“For the green cabin system, electricity is generated by motors on passages and stored in batteries”

Another growing market, Poland, will have its first StratCat 27 CTVs from Q3 2024. Lotos Petrobaltic, part of Orlen Group, is expecting the CTV to join a fleet managed by Miliana Shipmanagement.

It will have a propulsion system meeting IMO Tier III emissions standards and adaptations for operating year-round in the Baltic, including reinforced hull plating to resist surface ice.

Strategic Marine will also complete four 27-m Z-bow CTVs for Ventus Marine during the next two years, with two scheduled to head to Europe to be managed by Njord Offshore and two more into Taiwan, managed by Njord Marine, with integrated propulsion systems and controllable pitch propellers.

Strategic Marine has also built two FCBs for the Abu Dhabi national oil company ADNOC, delivered in June, with gyro stabilisation and hybrid-electric onboard capabilities.

“For the green cabin system, electricity is generated by motors on passages and stored in batteries,” says Mr Chan. “Stored power is then consumed when FCBs are on standby or at the quayside, so there is no need for gensets for hotel loads.”

He expects more of these green technologies to be incorporated into future FCBs and CTVs as well as hybrid propulsion and other fuel and emissions saving devices. But the biggest impact comes from the new vessel designs being built now.

Strategic Marine Group has a shipyard in Singapore and presence in Australia, Europe and the Middle East. It operates principally in five key market segments: vessels for oil and gas, renewable energy, ferries and transport, defence and paramilitary, and port and pilotage services.

Riviera’s Offshore Support Journal Conference, Asia, the premier annual event for the offshore energy and offshore vessels sector in the region, returns to Singapore on 17-18 September 2024. Use this link for more information and to register. Early bird rates are available until 2 August 2024