PSV 3300
World Sapphire ceremony marks completion of six-vessel order for World Wide Supply
Six vessels in six months
The official christening of the ‘World Sapphire’ marks the completion of a six-ship order whereby Damen Shipyards has delivered six Platform Supply Vessels to Norwegian company World Wide Supply AS in just six months.
The Damen PSV 3300 features a radical design rethink, with a wave piercing bow, slender hull lines and diesel electric propulsion with azimuth stern drives, combining to optimise seakeeping and fuel efficiency. The 80.1 m, 1500-tonne deck capacity vessel also has DP2 capability.
As the sixth vessel is named, Jostein Sætrenes, Chief Executive Officer of World Wide Supply AS, which was established in late 2010, comments: “Damen was able to deliver six vessels between June 28 – December 17, which is impressive.”
Mr Sætrenes is pleased to see that all six vessels will be under contract during the second quarter, four of them being on long-term charters to Brazilian energy giant Petrobras. He reflects on the completion of the six-vessel series and why the new offshore company chose Damen Shipyards as a partner.
All six vessels under charter
“We wanted a vessel for today and for the future. We gave the designers and engineers involved in the project the mandate that the vessels should have a modern look but embody proven technology. The new PSV had to be able to realise our expectations for the offshore market of the future.
“Damen’s technical people and engineers worked together with our guys to develop a very modern vessel but with proven and tested technology. Crucially, they considered the hydrodynamics and the new vessel had to be more fuel efficient, cost efficient and environmentally friendly.”
The shape of the hull came under scrutiny to improve seakeeping behaviour and to optimise crew comfort. “It was important for us to have a comfortable vessel. For the crew this is their home and working space for half of the year.”
Seakeeping and comfort crucial
Two of the vessels – the World Diamond and Pearl – are currently working for GDF Suez out of Aberdeen in the North Sea and four will be on a long-term charter for Petrobras from mid-June. The Petrobras contract was signed in April 2013 and the GDF agreement in December. “Feedback from the crew and customers has been very positive, ” he says.
Although WWS was established in 2010 it really spent a year designing and perfecting the vessels. But when it took the bold decision to invest in the new PSV series, Mr Sætrenes admits it was largely based on ‘pure speculation or perhaps, calculated speculation’. “We had no contracts in place but felt very sure that these vessels would be awarded contracts and so far, that has been the case.
“We got the vessel we wanted, it is a good vessel in its segment.” The new PSV has also taken Damen Shipyards into the Norwegian offshore market. He adds: “We have a solid partnership. Damen offered a competitive price but also it was willing to work with a start up company, being flexible with the financing, which was necessary for such a newbuild programme.
“At the same time I think we can say that we offered Damen some technical expertise by hiring in such know-how from the Norwegian industry; which we still believe is the leading environment for ship design and engineering. The combination of the expertise from Norway and Damen has led to the creation of a great product.”
For the future WWS recognises that six ships is not a fleet, he says, but it is a start. WWS will concentrate on integrating the vessels into the market but it does not rule out the addition of more vessels in the future. However, this is not on the agenda at the moment.
As well as the four WWS vessels, which are currently undergoing a ‘Petrobras conversion’ at Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands, Damen has another four under construction. One will de delivered in March and one in September and two will be delivered to Swiss company PROMAR in 2015.
About the PSV
Delivery of the new design involved extensive CAD/CAM modelling by Damen Shipyards own in-house R&D team, as well as model testing at Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN).
The PSV 3300 is part of an entire new range of Damen PSVs. With an 80.1 m length, the PSV has a deck load of 1, 500 tonnes. The new type can be used to transport crew and equipment to and from offshore platforms but it also offers fire-fighting and oil pollution recovery capability.
Equipped with azimuth thrusters and dynamic positioning (DP2), the design is distinguished by slender hull lines to meet challenging conditions, minimise fuel consumption and to enhance crew comfort.
A state-of-the-art wave piercing bow and slender hull lines provides superior seakeeping and is ideal for rough seas. The vessel has newly designed anti-roll tanks and an optimised superstructure for crew comfort. Long smooth lines in the entire form also have a positive effect on the durability of coatings.
The series has been designed and built in line with Damen’s ‘E3’ principles – Environmentally friendly, Efficient in operation and Economically viable.
Range of PSV types
The PSV 3300 is one of five PSV types available from Damen ranging from 1, 500 dwt to 6, 500 dwt.
It is Damen’s strategy is to deliver an entire range of hi-tech vessels for offshore customers that are built on principles defined by reduced Total Cost of Ownership. The first deliveries from Damen Shipyards Group’s extensive new offshore portfolio open the way to the realisation of the global group’s strategic ambition to challenge preconceptions on how best to source high performance ships in this specialised market.
Extensive Offshore range
Damen’s expanding offshore portfolio includes completely new designs for several vessel types. The Offshore Series currently includes: PSVs ranging from 1, 500 dwt to 6, 500 dwt; Fast Crew Suppliers in lengths of 19 m-67 m featuring the renowned ‘Sea Axe’ bow that reduces slamming by up to 70%; Anchor Handling Tug Suppliers with 75t-200t bollard pull; the Offshore Heavy Lift Vessel 1800; the ‘Ro-Ro Deep Dredge’; various standby and multipurpose support vessels and the powerful new Damen Offshore Carrier 7500, featuring a 2, 300m2 deck area.
With the encouragement from owners, Damen is already adding to the list with a new cable layer concept.
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 40 ship- and repair yards, employing 8, 000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 5, 000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers approx. 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality.
Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale value and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.
Damen offers a wide range of products, including: tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and super yachts.
For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of Services, such as maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. To complete, Damen offers a variety of marine components, especially nozzles, rudders, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.
Damen Shiprepair & Conversion
In addition to ship design and shipbuilding, Damen Shiprepair & Conversion offers a network of 16 repair & conversion yards worldwide, with dry docks ranging up to 420×80 metres. Conversion projects range from adapting vessels to today’s requirements and regulations to the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DS&C handles 1, 500 repair and maintenance jobs annually.
