The Singapore shipbuilder
Strategic Marine has commissioned a series of three new offshore supply vessels with a maximum speed of over 53 knots - the fastest of their kind in the world. Each vessel is powered by four 16-cylinder mtu Series 2000M72 engines supplied by
Rolls-Royce. The vessels will be used by a national oil company in Africa for passenger transfer to offshore platforms and floating production, storage and off-loading vessels
To enable fast and safe passenger transfer to offshore platforms, the 35m long vessels have been designed as so-called “Surface Effect Ships” (SES). SES uses air-cushion technology within a catamaran hull form. This design was used for the first time in the offshore oil and gas industry.
The boats have an optimised power-to-weight ratio and use powerful fans to generate an air cushion between the hulls that minimises hull drag and resistance. Combined with the mtu propulsion package (each delivering 5,760kW of power), the vessels can travel at much higher speeds than conventional monohulls and catamarans, with consumption remaining at the same per hour of operations. The high speed of well over 50 knots ensures shorter transit times, while the low hull resistance saves fuel and reduces emissions.
Chan Eng Yew, Strategic Marine CEO, said: “Our goal in building these crew transport vessels was to minimise the water resistance at the hulls and maximise the cruising and top speed of the ship. The 53-knot top speed during the sea trials demonstrates that we were successful in building and commercialising this technology for offshore crew transfer applications. mtu engines have made a significant contribution thanks to their unique power-to-weight ratio.”
Denise Kurtulus, Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ senior vice president (global marine), said: “We are extremely proud that our mtu propulsion package has helped to develop this new and extraordinary type of vessel. The excellent power-to-weight ratio and long maintenance intervals of over 12,000 hours were crucial factors in the selection of our engines. These product benefits will help us achieve our strategic goal of increasing our share of the commercial marine market.”