Rolls-Royce delivers largest thruster order

The contract is worth around £18m and it’s the largest ever Rolls-Royce thruster order for a single vessel.

Kari Välimaa, Rolls-Royce, operations director Finland, said: “We are delighted to deliver our largest ever thruster order to power this record-breaking vessel. This vessel is massive, and the load that it is intended to carry will be equally hefty. Rolls-Royce azimuth thrusters are the ideal solution for the work this ship will undertake due to their reliability and high performance, which are business critical for the offshore industry.”

The ship named Pieter Schelte measures 382m in length and 117m in width. It’s due to enter service in 2014 and will carry out installation and decommissioning of oil and gas platforms and pipeline installation projects worldwide.

Pieter Schelte is capable of lifting 48,000 tonnes and pipelay tension capacity will be 2,000 tonnes – this is double the capacity of the current world’s largest pipelay vessel, Allseas’ Solitaire.

Meanwhile, the company has also signed an £18m contract with Italian Shipyard Rosetti Marino S.p.A for the design and delivery of an integrated power and propulsion system for an anchor handling vessel being built for Augusta Offshore S.p.A.

The repeat order is for a Rolls-Royce UT 712 CD, but the company will also supply the main engines, propulsion systems and gear, tunnel thrusters, rudders, deck machinery, electrical systems as well as automation and control systems. The vessel is due for delivery in mid 2014.