SX 157 award biggest yet for Ulstein D&S

MARCH 31, 2014 — Ulstein has released a few more details of the four SX157 design ocean going tugs that Japan’s Niigata Shipbuilding & Repair in Japan will be build for the Dutch company ALP Maritime Services, which was acquired by Teekay Offshore in February (see earlier story).

Ulstein is supplying design and equipment packages for the vessels and says the contract has the highest value of any single contract thus far won by Ulstein Design & Solutions. It won’t say how much it is worth, but says that in addition to providing the design it is also responsible for the deliveries of main components, such as engines, thrusters and propellers, winch, power distribution and thruster drives, control system and communication systems.

Teekay Offshore said in February that the fully built-up cost  of the four ships will be “approximately $260 million, which includes the cost of acquiring ALP.”

The vessels are primarily designed for towing of large structures over long distances. This is a new market for Ulstein and the vessels have been developed especially for this project in close collaboration with ALP. They are expected to deliver in the range of 300 ton bollard pull, and will be 88.9 m long and 21 m wide.

“An oceangoing tug typically tow oil rigs, or FPSOs, from the building yards to the installation site at the oil field. In addition, these vessels are outfitted with DP2 and anchor handling capacity in order to assist during the installation/hook-up phase for the towed objects. The SX157 have fuel capacity to tow over long distances, with the ability of towing at full power for 45 days. This is a niche market where we see that our solutions can be a positive contribution,” says managing director Sigurd Viseth in Ulstein Design & Solutions.

“Within each project we work strategically in order to come up with safer, smarter and greener solutions,” says Mr. Viseth. “ALP refers to these four ships as the ‘ALP Future Class.’ When developing the design we had to ensure that each vessel has the sufficient bollard pull and operational reliability to handle even the heaviest tows by only two vessels. Environment and fuel efficiency have also been important criteria. The vessels are classed with DNV’s Clean Design and Ice Class 1B notations, which allow operation also in restricted zones.  Additionally, they are equipped as anchor handling vessels including stern roller, a three-drummed winch with 400-ton hoisting capacity, and with chain lockers for rig chain. The ships have a comfortable and spacious accommodations for 35 persons reflecting long periods at sea.”

Main characteristics:
Long Distance Towing
High bollard pull: For the towing of very large floating objects
Also equipped for: Anchor Handling, positioning, mooring
Dynamic Positioning Class II
Worldwide work
Optimal seagoing characteristics (ULSTEIN X-BOW®)
Fuel efficient
Clean Design
Comfort Class Comf-V (3)
Ice Class 1B
Fire Fighting (FiFi II)
Cargo deck area: 550 m2
Four engines, capacity 18,000 kW / 600 rpm
Deck cargo 2,400 tons – 10t/m2 Max
Deadweight 4,250 tonnes