The technology group Wärtsilä says it will provide hybrid propulsion capability for a new offshore wind construction support vessel. The ‘Acta Centaurus’, a DP2 walk-to-work construction support vessel owned by Netherlands-based Acta Marine, will thus gain fuel consumption and environmental benefits through being able to operate the vessel with less running engines at more optimised load. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in May 2019.
The solution to be provided by Wärtsilä includes the hybrid drive, the batteries, and an energy management system. Wärtsilä will also carry out the installation, testing and commissioning of the hybrid system, as well as upgrading the existing onboard systems of Acta Centaurus to make it suitable for hybrid drive.
“Hybrid propulsion is becoming an increasingly adopted trend for meeting the challenges faced by today’s maritime industry. Wärtsilä has been a forerunner in developing the technology to make this both possible and feasible, and our track record in this field is already significant,” says Joel Knif, General Manager, Marine Project Sales, Wärtsilä Marine.
The installation of the equipment needed for the hybrid conversion will take place during the fourth quarter of this year.
The Wärtsilä hybrid propulsion solution provides benefits deriving from the flexibility and efficiency provided by the technology. These vessels have a high dynamic positioning load and thus fluctuating power requirements which is an ideal situation for hybrid and can result in a CO2 reduction around 15%.
Ship owner Acta Marine supports clients on a world-wide basis in areas such as dredging, civil construction, offshore oil & gas and offshore renewables. The company is independent and family-owned and owns and operates a fleet of about 450 support vessels.