Wärtsilä to supply ship design and full diesel electric propulsion system for new field support vessel to Norway

Wärtsilä is able to offer its marine customers everything, from vessel design to the machinery and automation systems. This single-source supply capability leads to reduced building time, lower costs, and minimized project risks. This latest order also represents the first installation of the Wärtsilä 32 engine with increased power output.

Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solutions provider, has been contracted to supply the vessel design and complete diesel electric drive installation for a new field support vessel. The ship is to be owned and operated by Sartor Shipping of Norway, and will serve the North Sea oilfields on behalf of Statoil. The order is taken into Wärtsilä’s order book during the first quarter 2011.

Sartor Shipping has contracted the VS465 design from Wärtsilä Ship Design. The Bergen Group BMV shipyard in Norway, which is to build the vessel, has placed an order for the complete diesel electric propulsion system from Wärtsilä Ship Power. The scope of the machinery supply includes two Wärtsilä 6L32 and two Wärtsilä 6L20 generating sets, the electric and automation systems, the frequency drives, the gear and controllable pitch propeller, the tunnel thrusters, as well as a retractable thruster. This will be the first installation of the Wärtsilä 32 engine with its power output increased from 500 to 575 kW/cylinder. The ship will also feature Wärtsilä’s Low Loss Concept (LLC), a proven energy efficient and highly redundant power distribution system for electric propulsion applications. The combination of the higher engine output and LLC means that fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions will be minimized.

Furthermore, the new vessel will feature, for the first time ever, a so-called 4-split reliability on both the electrical (LLC) and mechanical side. The 4-split concept means that no single failure will result in more than a 25 per cent loss of power or capability. In addition to increased reliability, this offers greater safety than traditional vessels that have a 2-split design, with a consequential risk of a 50 per cent loss.

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 2010, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with more than 17,500 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