Schottel thrusters for giant crane ship are on their way to Chinese yard

Les Alizés will mainly be used for the construction of offshore wind farms but is also suitable for decommissioning offshore oil and gas platforms. [Image: Jan De Nul]

The main propulsion package for Jan De Nul’s latest heavy-lift crane vessel Les Alizés has left the Schottel production plant in Wismar, Germany, on its way to the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China.

The full Schottel propulsion package consists of four rudder propellers, two retractable rudder propellers, and two transverse thrusters to ensure optimal propulsion efficiency as well as maximum manoeuvrability. “

Les Alizés is currently under construction and will be deployed for the construction of offshore wind farms after its delivery.

Les Alizés is specifically designed for loading, transporting, lifting and installing offshore wind turbine foundations. The main features are a main crane of 5,000 tons, a deck loading capacity of 61,000 tons and a deck space of 9,300 sq.m. With these characteristics, Les Alizés will be able to easily transport the heavier future foundations, several in one trip, to the offshore installation site, with direct benefits in planning, fuel consumption and emissions reduction.

The main propulsion system of the crane vessel consists of four electrically driven Schottel RudderPropellers type SRP 610 — each with an input power of 3,000 kW and a propeller diameter of 3.3 meters — installed at the stern. With this setup, Les Alizé” will achieve a maximum speed of 13 knots.

To ensure precise positioning in DP mode, two Schottel Retractable RudderPropellers type SRP 610 R (3,250 kW each with a propeller diameter of 3.0 meters) and two Schottel TransverseThrusters type STT 7 (2,600 kW each with a propeller diameter of 2.79 m) are installed in the bow. The retractable units are fitted with an 8° downwards-tilted propeller shaft to reduce thruster-thruster and thruster-hull interactions and increase propulsion efficiency.