Kongsberg Maritime has signed a contract with Vard shipyard to supply a package of permanent magnet (PM) thrusters for installation on two new offshore wind farm maintenance vessels.
The Construction Service Operations Vessels (CSOV) are to be built for Rem Offshore.
The scope of delivery includes PM azimuth thrusters, together with PM tunnel thrusters and a retractable azimuth thruster.
PM thrusters contribute to improved manoeuvrability, reduced noise – both in the vessel and in the sea – and higher propulsion efficiency, reducing both energy consumption and environmental emissions.
The thrusters will be controlled by Kongsberg’s K-Master bridge solution, a complete working environment which combines dynamic positioning and manoeuvring functionality in an integrated, joystick-driven system that can be managed by a single operator.
They differ from conventional thrusters in that the propeller blades are not driven directly with a motor and shaft.
Instead, an electromagnetic field generates rotation around the outer edge of the propeller blades.
Rem Offshore chair Age Remoy said: “In the maritime cluster at Sunnmore, we have a tradition of working together to develop and be first to use new technology that gives us a competitive advantage.
“With this project, we are doing it again. Together with Vard and Kongsberg Maritime, we are building a sustainable platform for offshore wind service.”
Kongsberg Maritime SVP sales Ottar Ristesund said: “This type of technology is key to the green shift for shipping.
“A ship is a complex system of technologies, and our job is to offer integrated equipment that makes the ship a good long-term investment for shipping companies, regardless of the type of fuel to be used. PM technology offers flexibility for the future for vessel owners.”
The vessels will be designed and built by Vard Group, with the first scheduled to be delivered in the first half of 2023.
The yard has an option to build two more vessels of the same design.