Wärtsilä Corporation has been awarded a contract by Ulstein Verft AS in Norway for a 23 MW power plant to be installed in a new offshore construction vessel being built by Ulstein for the Norwegian offshore company Solstad Offshore ASA and the Swiss-based company Single Buoy Moorings Inc (SBM). The 124 m-long vessel, to be named “Normand Installer”, is designed by Vik-Sandvik AS, Norway.
The vessel will be equipped with a diesel-electric power plant incorporating two Wärtsilä 16V32 diesel generating sets and two Wärtsilä 8L32 diesel generating sets. The Wärtsilä 16V32 engines each develop 7680 kW, and the Wärtsilä 8L32 engines each 3840 kW, both at 720 rpm. Electric propulsion motors will drive through twin Wärtsilä SV105 reduction gears to the twin Lips CPS115 controllable-pitch propellers running in Lips HR nozzles.
Wärtsilä, as The Ship Power Supplier, is thus delivering the four diesel generating sets, two reduction gears, two Lips CP propellers, Lips HR nozzles, and the Lipstronic C7000 advanced remote control system. In addition, Wärtsilä will deliver four Lips CT250M-D tunnel thrusters and a Lips FS225-240/MNR retractable thruster.
The vessel is due for delivery in January 2006. It will be operated by Solstad Offshore and has been chartered for a period of eight years to SBM which has an option to employ the vessel for a further 12 years after the initial period.
Founded in 1969, SBM is the world leader in the design, fabrication, installation and servicing of offshore loading and offloading terminals, as well as tanker-based floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels for the offshore oil and gas industry.
The vessel will thus be employed by SBM in the installation and maintenance of its floating production systems and single-point mooring (SPM) systems around the world. It will be required to undertake a great variety of tasks in deep water.
The vessel is thus designed to be extremely versatile in its capabilities based upon the experience of both Solstad Offshore and SBM, and upon anticipated future demands. It has a large working deck aft, with a working area of about 2500 m2 on two decks, together with a moon pool. There is a 500-tonne winch, a 250-tonne subsea crane and a 250-tonne capacity A-frame over the stern.
Solstad Offshore is a long established customer of Wärtsilä, having taken delivery of some 49 Wärtsilä engines in 16 vessels. Another newbuilding is currently under construction in Norway for Solstad Offshore with four further engines. The first Solstad vessels with Wärtsilä engines were two anchor-handling tug/supply vessels, the “Normand Drott” and “Normand Jarl”, delivered in 1984 and 1985 respectively.
Marit Holmlund-Sund
Public Relations Manager, Ship Power
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1439
Direct fax: +358 10 709 1425
e-mail: marit.holmlund-sund@wartsila.com
Internet: www.wartsila.com
