Wärtsilä has been awarded a contract to supply a complete liquefied natural gas (LNG) package, including the propulsion, auxiliaries and controls, for a new offshore support vessel designed by STX Marine, Inc. The ship has been ordered by Harvey Gulf International Marine as a part of the company's "Going Green" initiative.
The vessel will operate in the Gulf of Mexico's offshore oilfields.
Fifth LNG Order
It is the fifth order for gas fuelled propulsion solutions Harvey Gulf awards Wärtsilä. In October 2011, Wärtsilä supplied technology for two new Harvey Gulf offshore support vessels, making them the first ever U.S. flagged platform supply vessels (PSVs) to be powered by LNG. The order to supply gas propulsion packages for a further two Harvey Gulf ships was received shortly thereafter. The contract for this fifth vessel was signed in November 2012.
The Cleanest in the Gulf of Mexico
The switch to LNG propulsion is part of Harvey Gulf's "Going Green" initiative, aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the company's vessels and operations. 'These PSVs will be the cleanest burning vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico,' says Chad Verret, Senior Vice President, Harvey Gulf International Marine.
Scope of the Contract
Wärtsilä will supply the steerable thrusters, an Integrated Automation System, the Power Management System, a complete Low Loss Concept for the electrical distribution and drive architecture. All five of the vessels will be powered by 6-cylinder 34DF dual-fuel generating sets capable of running on either LNG or conventional liquid fuels. The switch between fuels can be made seamlessly without loss of power or speed. The company will also supply the LNGPac LNG bunkering, storage and supply system.
Reduced Emissions
In gas mode, emissions of nitrogen oxide are reduced by some 85 percent compared to diesel operation, sulphur oxide emissions are completely eliminated since gas contains no sulphur, and CO2 emissions are also reduced. Furthermore, the production of particulates is virtually zero since natural gas has no residuals.
Picture: The new offshore supply vessel for Harvey Gulf (courtesy of STX Marine, Inc.)
