Alewijnse Marine is nearing a milestone in the electrical fit-out of Australia’s new, world‐beating, Antarctic icebreaker. This month, the company will execute the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for the two 690V main switchboards as part of the complete electrical system integration on board the Antarctic Supply and Research Vessel (ASRV) Nuyina.
The vessel itself is in the early stages of section assembly in the dry dock at Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania. Delivery is scheduled for the end of April 2020.
RSV Nuyina
The complex and sophisticated 160‐metre ASRV, recently named RSV Nuyina, will replace the current research vessel Aurora Australis operated on behalf of the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). With this state-of-the-art replacement vessel, the AAD will be equipped to continue scientific expeditions to the Antarctic for at least another thirty years.
Electrical Installation
On board the RSV Nuyina, Alewijnse is responsible for the engineering, delivery and installation of the vessel’s entire electrical installation. This includes the main power installation, the propulsion and thruster control systems, and the integrated platform management system.
Alewijnse Technical Project Manager Patrick van Keulen, commented: 'The level of complexity and sheer size of this project is huge. For example, the vessel has to be able to operate at temperatures as low as -30˚C and have the ability to break ice up to 1.65 metres thick. This means that the equipment and materials used must be tremendously durable and the design of the main propulsion line including the integration with the main power distribution network is exceptionally complicated.'
