Wärtsilä, the marine industry's leading ship power solution provider, has signed a long term service agreement with Eidesvik Offshore, Norway, for the supply of maintenance services for the seismic vessel “Oceanic Vega”. The service agreement is expected to considerably reduce maintenance costs for the owner, while providing uninterrupted availability and high levels of reliability.
The agreement, which was signed at this year’s ONS exhibition in Stavanger, Norway on 24 August, is for five years, with an option for an additional five years. There is also an option for a sister vessel, due to be delivered in July 2011.
Identifying faults before breakdowns occur
Wärtsilä’s proactive DMP (Dynamic Maintenance Planning) programme includes the planning and scheduling of engine maintenance based on the online monitoring of the mechanical condition, performance, system efficiency data, and other indicators from each engine. The data is collected and monitored daily, which enables the sources of faults to be identified before failure occurs.
In expressing his satisfaction with the service agreement, Eidesvik’s CEO, Jan Fredrik Meling, commented: “Innovative thinking has always been one of our competitive advantages, and Wärtsilä’s maintenance concept adds to this thinking. Eidesvik sees it as important that we, in co-operation with both the operator of the vessel and Wärtsilä, can ensure continuous supervision of maintenance needs, thus minimizing shut-downs, and making maintenance breaks as predictable and brief as possible.”
The “Oceanic Vega” was built at the Ulstein Verft yard in Norway, and was delivered on 1 July 2010. The ship’s integrated power system consists of six Wärtsilä 26 engines, gears, adjustable thrusters and controls. The Norwegian marine trade magazine Skipsrevyen has nominated the ship for the “Ship of the Year 2010” award.
“Wärtsilä’s Dynamic Maintenance Planning (DMP) works as a partnership whereby the supplier, owner, and operator work together to minimize non-operational periods. The concept includes planning and scheduling maintenance, utilizing system efficiency data, and holding regular meetings, as well as using a variety of measurements. This data is collected and monitored on a daily basis, and in this way we can effectively assess the likelihood of breakdowns before they occur,” says Mr Sveinung Hansen, President, Wärtsilä Norway.
Wärtsilä is also committed to carrying out regular inspections and overhauls of the equipment onboard The “Oceanic Vega”.
Reducing downtime lowers costs
The company’s Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) system is a part of Wärtsilä’s DMP. CBM combines on-line monitoring of the vessel’s mechanical and thermal condition, with system efficiency data, and many other indicators, to assess the condition of an engine. All this real time information from the shipboard system is transmitted on a 24/7 basis to Wärtsilä service professionals. The Wärtsilä service team then accurately assesses the overall status and condition of the engine and ultimately the maintenance it needs. The team then issues regular reports to the engine users based on established guidelines and specific operating conditions.
“At Wärtsilä we are experiencing an increased focus, both among clients and among our clients’ clients, on service solutions that reduce downtime, and which increase the predictability of the maintenance plan. This requires an effective approach, and corporations are increasingly turning to systems, such as the Wärtsilä CBM, that provide live supervision and predictability in maintenance,” says Mr Hansen.
Wärtsilä’s Sveinung Hansen and Eidesvik’s Jan Fredrik Meling, point to the fact that their companies have co-operated closely on innovative solutions for many years. Eidesvik were, for example, the first ship owners to utilize Wärtsilä’s DF dual-fuel engines on their supply vessels. Both companies also participate in the Fellowship-project, where the aim is to develop and demonstrate hybrid fuel cell power packs, especially for use in marine and offshore applications.
Wärtsilä is exhibiting at the ONS exhibition in Stavanger, Norway, 24-27 August on stand number B267!
Oceanic Vega
Caption: Picture of the seismic vessel “Oceanic Vega”.
Media contacts:
Mr Sveinung Hansen
President Wärtsilä Norway AS
Wärtsilä in Norway
Tel: +47 917 53 434
e-mail: sveinung.hansen@wartsila.com
Mr Jan Fredrik Meling
CEO
Eidesvik Offshore
Tel: +47 53 44 80 00
Ms Marit Holmlund-Sund
Senior Manager, PR and Marketing Communications
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1439
e-mail:marit.holmlund-sund@wartsila.com
Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.
In 2009, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.3 billion with more than 18,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com
Eidesvik in brief:
Eidesvik is a moderen innovative shipping company that operates ships within the business areas of supply, seismic and subsea. Together with our customers and partners we are a powerhouse for future-oriented ship- and operation solutions. Eidesvik is listed on Oslo Stock Exchange
www.eidesvik.no
