Wind service operation vessel to have MAN diesel-electric propulsion solution

A wind service operation vessel (WSOV) under construction for French owner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs at Cemre shipyard in Turkey will feature MAN Diesel & Turbo’s EPROX (Energy Saving Electric Propulsion System). The 83m-long vessel will house four MAN 8L21/31 variable-speed gensets with a DC distribution network providing electrical power to thrusters and other consumers. The ship will be used for operations and maintenance work on German offshore wind farms Borkum Riffgrund 1 and 2, as well as Gode Wind 1 and 2 for Danish energy company DONG Energy. In anticipation of the introduction of a NOx emissions control area in the Baltic and North Seas in 2021, the engines will be prepared for the future retrofit of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems enabling Tier III compliance. Lex Nijsen, head of four-stroke marine, MAN Diesel & Turbo, said, “This order confirms our solid foothold within the segment for small-bore, medium-speed engines powering specialised vessels.” The gensets will be assembled and tested at MAN’s facility in Aurangabad, India. Salt Ship Design will provide the full design and engineering package for the vessel, which is scheduled for delivery in the last quarter of 2018. The vessel will operate for Denmark’s DONG Energy.