Earlier this year, leading offshore shipping industry representatives from 45 countries met at the Offshore Support Journal Conference in London. The conference highlight was the presentation of the international awards. This year, two awards were won by vessels equipped with the exceptionally fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP): the A2SEA wind turbine construction vessel Sea Installer and the Østenjø platform supply vessel Edda Ferd.

For the 7th year, Riviera Maritime Media held one of the largest meetings of vessel operators, shipbuilders, designers and OEMs of the offshore support industry. In the run-up to the conference, more than 4,500 readers of the Offshore Support Journal had decided on the winners of the awards presented by the magazine. The Offshore Renewable Award went to the Sea Installer, the Environmental Award was won by the Edda Ferd. Both vessels are equipped with the sustainable Voith Schneider Propeller drive concept.

The wind turbine construction vessel Sea Installer owned by Danish operator A2SEA is one of the largest and most powerful vessels transporting offshore turbines for the wind energy industry. The vessel with a length of 132 meters and a width of 39 meters accommodates up to 60 people. Thanks to its crane capacity of 800 tons and a total capacity of 5,000 tons, the Sea Installer can transport eight to ten complete wind turbines – and that with extraordinary safety and maneuverability, even at extreme seas. This is made possible by her main propulsion system consisting of three Voith Schneider Propellers. 
 

Each of them has a propulsion power of 3,800 kW. With the VSP technology and the Voith Roll Stabilization (VRS), the master of the Sea Installer can keep his vessel exactly on position and navigate with precision, both in Dynamically Positioned Mode as well as in transit on rough seas. With its theme “Marine Industry Superior Environmental Thinking” – or MindSet for short – the shipping company Østenjø sets new environmental standards for platform supply vessels. The result: The platform supply vessel Edda Ferd which will be plying the world’s oceans as of October 2013, mainly for the oil and gas industry. The Edda Ferd uses 30 percent less energy and therefore also less fuel than comparable platform supply vessels. The two Voith Schneider Propellers with a propulsion power of 2,500 kW each have contributed to this reduction.

Thanks to their fast and accurate control, the VSPs keep the vessel safely and precisely in position – even in rough seas. This eliminates the need for re-adjustment and thus saves fuel. In addition, the VSPs are very quiet, reducing the noise emissions under water. The propellers allow for a simple hull shape. The Edda Ferd is therefore particularly efficient, which reduces the fuel consumption and emission of pollutants.