Singapore shipbuilder Strategic Marine has commissioned three new offshore supply vessels, powered by four 16-cylinder mtu Series 2000 M72 engines from Rolls-Royce each, boasting a maximum speed exceeding 53 knots – making them the fastest of their kind globally.
These vessels will be deployed by a national oil company in Africa for passenger transfer to offshore platforms and Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessels.
Designed as “Surface Effect Ships” (SES), these 35-meter vessels utilize air-cushion technology within a catamaran hull form, a first for the offshore oil and gas industry. This innovative design enables fast and safe passenger transfer to offshore platforms.
The boats feature an optimized power-to-weight ratio and use powerful fans to generate an air cushion between the hulls, minimizing drag and resistance.
Combined with the mtu propulsion package, each engine delivering 5,760 kW of power, these vessels achieve significantly higher speeds than conventional monohulls and catamarans while maintaining comparable fuel consumption per hour of operation.
The high speed of well over 50 knots (over 90 km/h) reduces transit times, and the low hull resistance contributes to fuel savings and reduced emissions.
“Our goal in building these crew transport vessels was to minimize the water resistance at the hulls and maximize the cruising and top speed of the ship.
“The 53-knot top speed during the sea trials demonstrates that we were successful in building and commercializing this technology for offshore crew transfer applications. mtu engines have made a significant contribution thanks to their unique power-to-weight ratio,” explained Chan Eng Yew, CEO of Strategic Marine.
“We are extremely proud that our mtu propulsion package has helped to develop this new and extraordinary type of vessel,” said Denise Kurtulus, Senior Vice President Global Marine at Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
“The excellent power-to-weight ratio and long maintenance intervals of over 12,000 hours were crucial factors in the selection of our engines. These product benefits will help us achieve our strategic goal of increasing our share of the commercial marine market.”
