Jul 21 2010
Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS in Norway has announced the launch of two colossal jackup vessels during the second and third quarter of 2012 to aid offshore wind energy installations.
The vessels with identical designs currently built by Lamprell Energy at their Dubai Shipyard will install three Voith Schneider Propellers for each vessel for increased performance, reliability and high-level maneuverability during installation and will allow the ships to reach a maximum speed of 12 knots during the transportation process.
Each of the vessels measure approximately 131 meters in length and 39 meters in width and use an input power of 11.4 MW. The vessels weigh approximately 5300 tons and use an operating platform measuring 3200 square meters. The installation crane incorporated in the vessel is designed to lift loads weighting up to 800 tons to a height of 24 m.
The planned vessel will incorporate four columns or jackup legs for stable placement on the seabed for the purpose of elating the vessel and converting it into an unwavering operating platform in the sea. The VSP propellers offer increased thrust during the lifting and conversion process and prevents the ship from shifting to sustain the dynamic positioning of the vessel to continue wind turbine installation operations.
The use of VSP allows simple hull shape for the vessel and does not affect the hydrodynamic design of the vehicle and control emissions. The jackup vessel also incorporates voith roll stabilization (VRS) feature to reduce the rolling motions of the ship during turbulent weather conditions.
Source: http://voith.com/index_e.php