Rolls-Royce Secures Systems Order for Offshore Supply Vessels

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has won a £24 million order to design and equip four offshore service vessels, which will be built by COSCO (Guangdong) Shipyard Co. Ltd in China.

The Rolls-Royce UT 771 CDL vessels will feature a fully-integrated equipment system, including highly efficient diesel electric propulsion, deck machinery, bulk handling equipment and automation and control systems.

"We are very pleased to sign our first contract with COSCO, and we look forward to working closely with them,” said Jørn Heltne, Rolls-Royce, Senior Vice President Ship Technology – Offshore. “These vessels are complex, highly efficient and designed to meet specific challenges faced by the offshore industry."

The vessels will be equipped for transporting pipes, equipment and cargo to and from pipe-laying barges, oil drilling and production platforms. The vessels will also be equipped for fire fighting.

Delivery of the four vessels is scheduled for 2014. The contract includes options to build an additional six vessels of the same design.

The vessels will have a diesel electric propulsion system with AZP thrusters as main propulsion thrusters, which give more flexibility. Rolls-Royce will also deliver tunnel thrusters as auxiliary thrusters.

There will also be installed Rolls-Royce Helicon- X3 remote control system for main and auxiliary thrusters. The power plant will consist of two electrically independent systems, one port and one starboard according to redundancy requirements.

A Rolls-Royce passive roll reduction system is to be installed, connected to the Rolls-Royce Acon System.

This design will feature a Rolls-Royce bulk handling system, consisting of dry bulk tanks, compressors etc, which is capable of discharging two types of cargo simultaneously.

Deck machinery from Rolls-Royce includes combined windlass/mooring winch, capstans, tugger winches and one hydraulic knuckle boom crane.

The vessels will have accommodation and outfitting for 46 persons.