Norwegian thruster manufacturer Brunvoll was awarded a large order for thrusters from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the construction of three new shuttle tankers for AET
The three 155,000-dwt shuttle tankers AET has ordered will be part of AET’s operations in oil fields outside Brazil. The vessels will use dynamic positioning with Brunvoll thrusters – two tunnel thrusters and three retractable asimuth thrusters totalling 13,700 kW (18,103 hp).
The orders will mean production at Brunvoll’s Molde factory will be running at high capacity this year, as most of the order will be produced and delivered in 2020.
Brunvoll has just completed delivering similar thruster systems to five vessels ordered by AET and built at the Samsung shipyard in South Korea.
Today there are 84 DP-equipped shuttle tankers in operation and on order and Brunvoll has a 70% market share in the segment. The company’s marketing director Per Olav Løkseth said the contract would help Brunvoll consolidate its position as a preferred partner for thruster systems for DP shuttle tankers in the northern regions and in Brazilian waters.
Mr Løkseth added “We are committed to optimising our complete solutions for propulsion and manoeuvring systems for the next generation of shuttle tankers, which are built to meet stringent environmental requirements.
Our solutions result in lower energy consumption and lower emissions for the operator, and we focus on sustainability in the manufacture of our products.”
The contract with AET is one of the largest single orders that Brunvoll has undertaken. Commenting on the award, the company’s chief executive Kåre Øyvind Vassdal said this order would “provide a platform” to help the company win similar orders in the future.
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