Tying it up

With a sizeable free deck area of around 840m2, these have room for a portable mezzanine deck suitable for ROVs.

It all adds to the complexity, a point which is not going unnoticed by the market. For example, this latest 771WP design incorporates MTU-engines as part of an integrated power, electric and propulsion system, alongside deck equipment, bulk handling, DP and automation and control technology. So, Mr Kvalsvik points out that the need for integration is becoming a very big driver indeed, especially in places that have yet to develop the kinds of technology cluster seen around the North Sea.

“The issue is that you need to bring all these diverse technologies onboard: when you hear of delays at shipyards, mostly it’s because there is some issue with the overall integration of equipment,” says Mr Kvalsvik. “I’d say integration has been the biggest challenge for many shipyards, especially in Asia. The problem is if you get the design from one group and buy the machinery here and there it can leave a gap with no-one to take responsibility for putting it together into a reliable, robust system.”

After all there’s been a rise in heavier, thirstier equipment both above and below deck, with automated technologies making yet more demands so it’s not just a question of power generation, but distribution and load responses.

Mr Kvalsvik says that all this helps lifecycle aspects as well as the build: “When you are looking at maintenance, it’s difficult to get three or four companies together to troubleshoot failures. We can provide just one.”

By Stevie Knight