Offshore staff
HELSINKI, Finland – Wärtsilä will supply engines and thrusters for OHT ASA’s newbuild wind turbine installation vessel.
The vessel is under construction at the China Merchants Heavy Industry shipyard in Jiangsu.
The work scope includes four Wärtsilä 32 and two Wärtsilä 20 engines, the Wärtsilä NOx reducer emission abatement system, five steerable thrusters, and one tunnel thruster. Delivery to the yard is expected in the first half of 2022. The ship is expected to be delivered during 2Q 2023.
According to the company, effective station-keeping is enhanced by the thrusters’ proven retractable system, which has an energy efficient 8-degree tilting feature. This reduces the power need and, therefore, also fuel consumption. The thrusters also deliver thrust that can be up to 23% more effective than non-tilted units.
The steerable thrusters are said to feature a modern electric steering system to provide higher redundancy, reliability, and a lower lifecycle cost.
Dirk Folchert, senior sales manager, Wärtsilä Marine Power, said: “The aim is always to provide optimal propulsion performance for efficient vessel operations, and the advanced range of Wärtsilä solutions selected for this ship will do just that. By enabling efficient free sailing and outstanding dynamic positioning, we are at the same time contributing to the decarbonization of shipping.”
The GustoMSC NG-14000XL-G design jackup vessel is customized for offshore wind turbine installation and XL monopile foundations. The vessel will feature a telescopic crane with a maximum capacity of 2,500 tons and a maximum lifting height of about 165 m (541 ft).
Torben Mikkelsen, OHT’s Newbuild Project Manager, said: “There is rapid growth in demand for the installation of offshore wind turbines, and the vessels designed to carry out this construction work need to be state-of-the-art. The same applies to the propulsion solutions because reliable and efficient dynamic positioning is essential in all sea conditions.
“The full scope of Wärtsilä solutions will provide the operational and environmental performance demanded for the next-generation market.”
07/29/2021
