Norway-based Eidesvik AS has contracted Wärtsilä to carry out the upgrade project on its Viking Neptun construction vessel. This latest order follows two similar hybrid upgrade contracts awarded to Wärtsilä in recent months.
The 15,900DWT Viking Neptun was built in 2015 and is fitted with Wärtsilä engines and Wärtsila’s Low Loss Concept (LLC) electrical systems.
“It is very important to our company that we play our part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping,” said Vermund Hjelland, vice president, Technology & Development, Eidesvik AS, “Which is why we give a high level of priority to sustainable operations for our fleet. We have worked closely with Wärtsilä for many years and we were comfortable with again selecting them for this hybrid upgrade project.”
By choosing this battery-hybrid solution, the ship will be able to operate on a single generator set together with batteries during dynamic positioning (DP) operations, resulting in fuel cost savings, better environmental performance and a reduction in maintenance costs as the load on the engines will be less.
“Wärtsilä continues to lead the industry’s technological transformation into a new era of greater efficiency and more sustainable operations,” said Cato Esperø, head of sales, Service Unit Nordics and Baltics, Wärtsilä Marine. “Our hybrid solutions are well established and proven, and this latest project order is a further endorsement of our competences in this field.”
Wärtsilä will also upgrade the existing switchboard, as well as the integrated automation and power management systems. The project is expected to be completed within a six-month period.