Wärtsilä to supply design and equipment for next generation PSV

Wärtsilä is to supply the design and equipment for a new platform supply vessel (PSV) being built by Norwegian shipyard Hellesøy Verft AS for Vestland Offshore. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered towards the end of 2012.

Based on the well-proven VS 485 design, the new VS 485 Mk III design vessel has a hull design optimized for greater efficiency, with corresponding reduced emission to air.

The vessel is 85.6 m long, has a breadth of 20 m, a cargo deck area of approximately 1,000 sq.m, and has a deadweight at 7 m of 5,000 tonnes.

It will be fitted with Wärtsilä medium speed engines and Wärtsilä NOx reducer.

Wärtsilä’s scope of supply also includes four Wärtsilä 9L20 diesel generator sets, the electric propulsion system, the power management system, and an integrated automation system.

“Vestland Offshore is building a fleet of vessels that emphasize energy efficiency, safety, reliability, and environmental sustainability. These are all major focus areas for today’s oil industry, and Wärtsilä’s designs are at the forefront of achieving these aims,” says Tor Østervold, Chairman of the Board of Vestland Offshore.

The VS 485 Mk III has the highest possible Environmental Rating Number (ERN) 99.99.99.99, which represents the vessel’s capability for maintaining its position and normal operations under certain weather conditions.

The new Wärtsilä PSV design includes a unique power and propulsion system based on the company’s patented Low Loss Concept. This provides both additional safety and extra reliability for continuous operation, in various failure modes.

“Over the years, Wärtsilä has gained considerable experience in the development of energy efficient vessels. In particular, the optimization of hull lines has been a major focus area of this development work. By combining this know-how with our overall expertise and experience, new design optimization tools, and state-of-the-art power and propulsion solutions, we have been able to produce a highly efficient portfolio of Offshore Service Vessel designs,” says Johannes Eldøy, Director, Project Development for Wärtsilä Ship Design.

May 25, 2010