Wärtsilä upgrades Siem Offshore platform supply vessel with hybrid propulsion

Oil&Gas

Norway Wärtsilä will retrofit the Siem Pride, an 89-meter-long Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) operated by Norway’s Siem Offshore Rederi, with a hybrid engine and battery propulsion system.

The improvement will allow the vessel to use fewer engines during operations, reducing energy and fuel usage significantly.

The Wärtsilä HY Module, a containerized solution on the vessel’s deck, will be key to the conversion. Its latest-generation energy management system, which serves as the system’s general brain, allows for a high level of interaction with the ship’s other onboard systems. The system will be linked to the existing 690 volt main switchboard. The operating engines can operate at up to 95 percent of their maximum continuous rating (MCR) without fear of overloading or blackouts.

Wärtsilä will supply the hybrid drive, energy management system, transformer, batteries, and switchboard modification for the project. The dynamic-positioning system will also be improved, and the ship’s architecture will be altered to accommodate the new layout. A deck house will also be built to house the equipment. The project is expected to be completed in April 2022, at which point the vessel will be awarded DNV’s Battery Power notation.

The vessel is currently powered by two Wärtsilä 34DF and two Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engines, as well as a complete Wärtsilä electrical package that includes the integrated automation and power management systems, as well as the company’s Low Loss Concept power distribution system, which features higher efficiency, lower weight and volume, and high system redundancy.

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