(EnergyAsia, July 7 2010, Wednesday) --- Wartsila, Finland’s ship power systems integrator, said it has signed a contract to supply a complete ship power system for a new wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) to Lamprell plc of the UAE.

Wartsila said it has been selected for its low fuel consumption, environmentally sound technology, and global service support. The vessel’s owner, Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS, expects it to be launched in mid-2012. This is the first in a series of two such vessels with an option for two more at a later date.

The vessel will be built by Lamprell plc, which build vessels, and refurbishes rigs and lift boats for the oil and gas industries.

Christopher Heidenreich-Andersen, the technical manager of Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS, said:

“Wartsila will provide us with state-of-the-art diesel electric machinery, which will give us excellent operational flexibility and reliability, as well as lower emissions and reduced fuel consumption. We look forward to introducing this technology to the offshore wind industry.”

Lamprell’s project manager, Darren MacDonald, said

“Wartsila meets all the requirements concerning the delivery strategy, and furthermore is aligned to our philosophy of not compromising on quality. We are confident in the company's technology and capabilities to deliver environmentally efficient equipment on time, which fully supports our aim of setting new benchmarks for the quality and capability of vessels in this industry.”

Fred Olsen Windcarrier AS was established two years ago to meet the rising demand for offshore WTIVs and other related marine service vessels.

All three parties have worked closely to develop the vessel’s capability to efficiently carry out this work in the challenging conditions of the North Sea. As a provider of complete ship power solutions, Wartsila said it was able to optimise both the technical performance of the onboard equipment, and the overall operating costs of the vessel.

Wartsila said the vessel’s engine configuration is based on its fuel-efficient medium speed engines. The scope of supply includes one 6-cylinder, two 9-cylinder and one 12-cylinder generating sets based on the Wärtsilä 32 engine, the bow thrusters, the power drive, and the automation systems.

The European Wind Energy Association expects energy production from offshore wind resources to rise sharply.

Wartsila said: “To meet increasing energy demands and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as many as 20,000 offshore wind turbines are expected to be erected over the coming decade. From 2020 to 2030, a further 40,000 windmills are likely to be installed making for a cumulative power generating capacity of 150.000 MW. This growth will in turn increase the expected demand for WTIVs.”

Arthur Boogaard, Wartsila’s general manager for special segment sales, said:

“The mechanical configuration of the ship has to take into consideration the vessel’s operational properties, and all the power requirements of the considerable amount of equipment onboard. We also had to provide the most efficient solution in terms of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

“Our Ship Machinery Comparison and Optimization programme (ShipMaC) enables us to calculate both the capital and operational costs of each part of the system, and to optimise the levels of annual expenditure. This, together with our Operations and Maintenance services, is a prime reason for Wärtsilä being such a valuable long-term partner to its customers."

The WTIV will be 131 metres long with a beam of 39 metres, and capable of speeds of up to 12 knots. It will be capable of carrying heavy loads, will be equipped with dynamic positioning technology, and have good manoeuvrability in port. It will be able to transport on deck up to 10 wind turbines, each with rotors of more than 100-metres diameter.

On arrival at location, the ship’s four legs are lowered to the sea floor and the vessel elevates itself using a jack-up system to become a stable working platform. The wind turbines are installed using the vessel's 800-tonne crane.