GE’s Marine Solutions business and Sembcorp Marine entered a deal for GE is set to provide technology for Heerema’s new Sleipnir semisubmersible crane vessel.
At 220m long and 102m wide, Sleipnir is to become the world’s largest crane vessel. It will be equipped with two cranes, each boasting a lifting capacity of 10,000 tons, and will be used for offshore construction and heavy lifting.
GE will provide the electrical part of the power and propulsion system including 12 sets of 8MW generators, eight units of 5.5MW propulsion motors, medium-voltage switchboards, transformers and MV7000 drives. The power generated from the system will position and propel the vessel and provide electricity to the vessel’s onboard systems.
GE leveraged its widespread diverse supply chain to source its scope of supply for this project, with the generators, switchboards, motors and variable frequency drives from various countries in Europe. The delivery plan of GE’s scope of supply is spread between September 2016 and May 2017, with the vessel scheduled to be commissioned by December 2018.
Overcoming various technical challenges, the solution provided by GE has been conceived from the ground up to meet requirements specific to this project. As a result, the entire power system is designed for fault tolerance in accordance with Lloyds Register’s Rules (DP AAA). While being more compact than standard solutions, GE’s solution has advanced sensors built in to help operators monitor the health of each piece of equipment in real time and signal possible malfunctions. Together, these measures result in a compact, yet highly sophisticated solution, which facilitates operations while helping to minimize downtime and increase availability, GE said.
“To power our newest SSCV, we wanted to collaborate with some of the best in business. In GE, we have found a partner that brings considerable experience and know-how into the project. We’re confident that their technology onboard our vessel will facilitate reliable operations,” Martijn Wijdeveld, senior project manager, Heerema Offshore Services said.
“To build this mammoth vessel for Heerema, we’re happy to be partnering with GE. We look forward to working with GE in installing high-quality and best-in-class solutions onboard the vessel,” William Gu Wei Guang, head of Sembcorp Marine Rigs & Floaters said.
“We’re excited to be working on this project with Heerema,” said Tim Schweikert, president & CEO, GE’s Marine Solutions business. “Building a SSCV of such proportions comes with its own set of challenges. With our deep technical expertise, we’re confident of tackling these challenges and delivering a high-quality solution to enable flawless operations of the vessel. We also believe that this project will strengthen the relationship between GE, Heerema and Sembcorp Marine.”
Illustration of Sleipner, from HMC.
Subscribe
