Ulstein Design AS agreed with Guangdong Machinery Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd. (GMG) to provide design services for 12 vessels of ULSTEIN A801 type. Ulstein Design has sold 60 ship designs since 2000. 25 are sold to Ulstein Verft in Norway. 35 are sold to shipyards in China, Spain, The Nederlands, Brazil and Dubai. “It has been a rewarding process to develop the ULSTEIN A801 design together with GMG, and we hope that this is the beginning of a lasting, productive cooperation,” says Ulstein Design market manager Ove Dimmen.
“The ULSTEIN A801 is an anchor-handling vessel with good supply capacities and a large working deck. The hull design is energy efficient and will provide good sea-keeping qualities,” Dimmen says
The ULSTEIN A801 has a diesel-electric propulsion system and an expected bollard pull of over 75 tonnes. The DP-2-class vessel is 76.7 meters long, 15 metres wide, and has a loading capacity approaching 3000 tons.
In addition to Ulstein Design, documentation for the 12 vessels will also be provided by other Ulstein Group companies in Norway, Turkey and China.
“We are pleased to cooperate with Ulstein on this project and believe that, with Ulstein’s experience, GMG will provide the best solutions for these vessels,” says GMG General Manager Xiong Hong. “Even though diesel-electric propulsion is still not so commonly used in the Asian market, we expect that insightful potential owners will see the benefits of lower fuel consumption and flexible technology.”
The 12 vessels will be built in Guangzhou, China, with construction planned to commence in the second half of 2008 and first vessel delivery scheduled for the end of 2009.