Rolls-Royce to deliver battery packs for six offshore vessels

Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine has received an order to deliver a battery-powered energy system for six offshore vessels (PSVs) which have been built by the Cosco Guangdong yard in China.

The delivery includes the Energy Storage Container System (ESSU); an upgrade of the existing Rolls-Royce ship design engineering package to match the new features; an upgrade of the Dynamic Positioning system (DP) and the ACON control system; and the new Rolls-Royce Energy Monitoring system, which will provide a complete overview of energy usage onboard, Rolls-Royce said in a statement on Tuesday.

Recently, Seacor Marine announced that it has entered into a joint venture with China Cosco Shipping Group. The new venture, Seacosco, has taken over eight offshore vessels which today are laid up by the yard.

The ships were ordered in 2013 and 2014 and their new owners have now decided to give six of the Rolls-Royce designed vessels an environmental upgrade, with an option for a further two. The ambition is to get them to work as fast as possible, Rolls-Royce explained.

Seacor, which has its head office in Louisiana, USA, will take full operational responsibility for the vessels and add them to their current fleet.

Asbjørn Skaro, Director Digital & Systems – Commercial Marine, Rolls-Royce, said: “We are looking forward to seeing these great vessels in operation and invested in for the future. These are advanced and modern ships, and we strongly believe that the new energy system onboard will make them stand out from the crowd in the market. They will receive an upgrade that benefits both the environment and the economic efficiency of the ships.”

The vessels are of Rolls-Royce UT 771 WP design, and have the characteristic Wave Piercing bow. According to Rolls-Royce, the bow reduces wave resistance during rough conditions, resulting in a smoother ride than traditional designs, reduced fuel consumption and increased onboard safety.

In addition to having provided the ship design, Rolls-Royce also originally delivered a package of ship equipment and systems to the vessels now being prepared for an environmental upgrade. This new order for six offshore vessels – with an option for further two – follows deliveries or orders for battery systems for seven other vessels.