The technology group Wärtsilä will upgrade the Siem Pride, an 89 metre-long Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) owned by Norway based Siem Offshore Rederi, for hybrid engine and battery propulsion. The upgrade will enable the vessel to reduce the number of engines in use during operations, thereby considerably lowering its energy and fuel consumption.
The Siem Pride dual-fuel (diesel and LNG) PSV vessel was built at Remontowa Shipbuilding SA and handed over to the Norwegian shipowner Siem Offshore in 2015. It is also the first ship of this type, built in this shipyard and in Poland in general, delivered as an entirely equipped with a propulsion system using LNG as fuel.
Central to the conversion will be the Wärtsilä HY Module, which is a containerised solution on the deck of the vessel. Its latest-generation energy management system, which acts as the overall brain for the system, creates a high level of interaction with the ship’s other onboard systems. The installation will be connected to the existing 690-volt main switchboard. The engines in operation may run at up to 95 per cent maximum continuous rating (MCR) without risk of overloading or blackouts.
– Decarbonising our operations is central to our strategy going forward, which is why we have taken this important step to convert the ‘Siem Pride’ for hybrid propulsion. Wärtsilä has industry-leading experience and expertise in this field, and their upgrade solution will deliver considerable added value to the vessel’s performance, says Jon August Houge, Operations Manager, Siem Offshore.
Wärtsilä will supply the hybrid drive, the energy management system, the transformer, batteries, and the switchboard modification. The dynamic-positioning system will also be upgraded, while the ship design will be modified for the new arrangement. A deckhouse containing the equipment will also be installed. The finalisation of the project is projected for April 2022, at which time the vessel will be awarded DNV’s Battery Power notation.
The contract with Wärtsilä to upgrade the Siem Pride was signed in the second quarter of 2021.
The vessel currently operates with two Wärtsilä 34DF and two Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engines, as well as a complete Wärtsilä electrical package, including the integrated automation and power management systems, and the company’s Low Loss Concept power distribution system which features higher efficiency, lower weight and volume, and high system redundancy.
It’s worth mentioning, that a similar upgrade of another offshore vessel has recently been carried out by Remontowa Ship Repair Yard SA . The vessel in question is the Deep Arctic, a DSV (Diving Support Vessel), which left the shipyard on 23 March this year after being refitted as the world’s first vessel of this type with a hybrid drive and battery power.
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