Isle of Wight UK shipbuilder, Aluminium Marine Consultants, recently announced a new 24m true hybrid wind farm crew transfer vessel design.
Six months ago AMC sought to take a step back and look closely at the feasibility of producing a truly innovative and radical vessel that would combine the durability of the existing aluminium crew transfer catamaran and the advances in hybrid power, not just related to marine, but to look beyond into automotive technology.
The vessel is based on proven design and exciting technology, but AMC stresses, one that will go straight to work as a direct replacement of an existing crew transfer vessel. The systems incorporated within the design are all available and proven, they have been brought together in one innovative design.
From the start of the project, AMC wanted to use its experience of building over fifty vessels and its involvement in offshore wind since day one. In this project AMC felt it important to engage with all interested parties, and to draw upon all points of view, to reach a consensus of what is important.
The hybrid system selected will be a serial hybrid/diesel electric installation. The aim is to have a vessel that has the capability of leaving harbour on battery power then a 2 hour run out to the wind farm. Then the vessel will have a 6 hour loitering of 5-8 kts on battery power. The vessel will then have 2 hour run back to harbour. This will give savings of 6 hours a day on engine maintenance time and cost.
AMC’s power train supplier will, in the next few years be able to offer a Hydrogen power unit, so the engines can be replaced or modified accordingly when the power units become available this, says AMC adds future proofing to the vessel. The advanced telemetry is available to constantly monitor performance.
The design brief was to deliver a vessel with all the features of a CTV, but delivering fuel savings of over 30%. Importantly the vessel can operate on its battery power for up to six hours per day, during which it achieves zero emissions. The fuel savings alone exceed the design brief says AMC.
News story written by Jake Frith
