Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solutions and services provider, will supply propulsion solutions for six new offshore pipe-laying vessels (PLVs) being built by IHC Merwede. Three of the ships are to be built for Subsea 7, the seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services contractor to the offshore energy industry. The other three vessels have been ordered by Seabras Sapura, the Sapura Kencana and Seadrill partnership entity.
All six vessels are scheduled to be delivered during the first half of 2015 and the second half of 2016. They will be deployed to serve the Brazilian offshore market by Petrobras. The scope of supply for each ship comprises six 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 32 engines, two transverse thrusters, two retractable thrusters and three steerable underwater de-mountable thrusters.
The contracts call for a tight delivery schedule, and Wärtsilä is expected to begin deliveries in February 2014, with further deliveries following at four-month intervals.
“These are very important orders that underscore Wärtsilä’s outstanding reputation for serving the offshore sector with solutions that meet the most demanding expectations. The delivery schedule is challenging, but we have frequently demonstrated that our world-class manufacturing and logistics processes can handle fast-track projects such as these”, says Aaron Bresnahan, vice president, Sales, Wärtsilä Ship Power.
Both Subsea 7 and Sapura Kencana already have vessels with similar Wärtsilä equipment installed, and Wärtsilä has enjoyed a long-standing and successful relationship with IHC Merwede. Furthermore, for Subsea7, Wärtsilä has an existing worldwide services and spare parts contract.
