Offshore staff
GENOA, Italy – RINA has conducted a full appraisal of the construction drawings and plans and is providing statutory and class certification for Prysmian’s cable laying vessel Leonardo Da Vinci.
The vessel is being built by Vard, a Fincantieri company, at one of its shipyards in Norway, with the hull being fabricated at Vard Tulcea in Romania. It is expected to be delivered in 2Q 2021.
With its dual engine rooms and hybrid power, the vessel is expected to be able to operate safely in winds up to 130 kph. It will have a capstan for cable pulling tension up to 100 tons and will be able to lay cables up to a depth of 3,000 m (9,842 ft).
The vessel is designed to meet Special Purpose Ship standards, in order to be able to carry up to 120 personnel and the requirements for the new RINA DP3 notation (2017 edition) and the IMO 1580 guidelines for dynamic positioning. This is to guarantee the cooperativity of the vessel even in the event of fire or flooding of one of the engine rooms.
The design led the Italian classification society to consider a further class notation to cover the hybrid propulsion plan installed on board.
RINA developed the battery power notation to cover the vessel, which has dedicated lithium batteries to ensure its dynamic positioning even in the worst-case scenarios. In case one of the engine rooms is no longer available, the hybrid propulsion plant and its automation allows the batteries to take over the feeding of one thruster for a minimum of 15 minutes, so it can continue to work safely. Batteries can also provide ‘peak shaving’ to reduce emissions.
Paolo Moretti, EVP Marine Strategic Development at RINA, said: “We worked closely with Prysmian and Vard to create the Battery Powered notation, which together with the Green Plus notation, will certify the sustainability ambitions of the owner. We have specifically analyzed this innovative arrangement to ensure the vessel is meeting the same level of safety as the DP3 notation.”
Awarded last year, the contract for the ship classification includes certification of all materials throughout the supply chain; from steel plate, through welds and all on board cable laying equipment.
10/24/2019
