Newbuild anchor-handler is flexible and fuel efficient

Normand Ranger is a large, high-capacity anchor handler with hybrid machinery. Her gear includes a Triplex multi-deck handler and a Rolls-Royce anchor recovery frame

Solstad Shipping AS operates Normand Ranger, a vessel designed by Wärtsilä Ship Design Norway and built by Ulstein Verft. She has a large-capacity anchor handling winch and safe anchor handling equipment. She is one of the most recent to be equipped with Triplex’s popular multi-deck handler and with a stern-mounted anchor recovery frame developed by ODIM (now part of Rolls-Royce Marine) for deploying and retrieval of anchors.

“Completion of the anchor handling vessel has been a challenging task but the shipyard delivered the project to the agreed terms within time,” said Ulstein Group in a statement released at the time of her handover.

“We are very satisfied with the completion of Normand Ranger,” said Solstad Offshore’s managing director Lars Peder Solstad. “The project has fulfilled our expectations.”

The vessel is a VS 490 AHTS whose length is 91m, breadth 22m, deadweight about 4,500 tonnes and bollard pull 287 tonnes.

“Normand Ranger is ready for the spot market in the North Sea, and we are pleased to see that this market is slightly recovering,” Mr Solstad said at the time that the company took delivery of the vessel.

The vessel is propelled by two large diesel engines, with the power on the propellers boosted when required by electric motors via a reduction gear with power take-in. Typically this would be the case when large amounts of power are required when the vessel needs maximum bollard pull.

The vessel is another example of an anchor handler with hybrid machinery which allows her to combine the machinery in various ways, depending on the requirements for power made on the vessel at different times. The modes of propulsion are:

. boost mode, which provides full power at 750 rpm and includes the electric motors;
. diesel-electric mode;
. diesel-mechanical mode;
. diesel-mechanical DP mode for use in good weather; and
. diesel-mechanical DP mode for use in bad weather.
The main roles of this impressive newbuilding include:
. anchor handling using the ship’s 500 tonne SWL, triple-drum towing winch;
. general supply services, including carrying liquid mud, brine and dry bulk;
. standby and rescue operations; and
. fire-fighting operations.

The vessel has tanks for recovered oil, which means she can participate in operations to clean up oil spills.

Normand Ranger is also an environmentally friendly ship in all respects. Her build agrees with DNV’s Clean Design class notation and she employs selective catalytic reactors to minimise the NOx emissions in her exhaust. She also has a Green Passport, which complies with the requirements of the IMO ship recycling scheme.

Solstad Offshore has been an important customer for Ulstein Group for a number of years. Ulstein and Solstad have collaborated on several projects, such as the construction of Normand Installer and Normand Seven. Ulstein Verft has also built 17 vessels for the Norwegian owner. The first anchor-handling vessel that the yard built for Solstad was Normand Drott, which was delivered in 1984.

Ulstein Verft completed Normand Ranger after the original builder, Karmsund Maritime of Norway, ran into financial problems. Ulstein Verft won the contract, let by GIEK bank and Sparebank 1 SR-Bank, for completion of the vessel in the spring of 2009. Karmsund Maritime went bankrupt in August 2009. The vessel was built for the account of Skrog 30 AS. OSJ