ABB Orders Cable-laying Vessel

ABB informs it has ordered a cable-laying vessel from Kleven shipyard in Norway. The new ship, scheduled to be delivered in 2017, will be custom-built to ABB specifications and measure approximately 140 by 30 meters.

 

“This next-generation vessel incorporating state-of-the-art ABB technologies will be a key differentiator for our high-voltage cable business, enhancing flexibility and execution ability,” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Systems division. “It will also improve operational efficiency and customer focus, supporting profitable growth in line with our Next Level strategy.”

 

The vessel is of SALT 306 CLV design from Salt Ship Design in Stord, Norway.

 

The new ship will deploy many of ABB’s marine technologies. The Onboard DC Grid and power distribution solution, for instance, will use a single DC circuit for ship propulsion to reduce power consumption. The vessel will be equipped with roll-reduction tanks and the subsea operations will be executed and monitored by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) using cameras and sonar, avoiding the need for divers.

 

The vessel will also feature a complete ABB Integrated Automation System and three Azipod propulsion units. Together with an energy storage system for marine applications it will cut fuel consumption by 27 percent and reduce maintenance compared to traditional AC systems. Sensors, monitoring hardware and software will enable data to be sent to shore via a satellite link, to allow the onshore technical support centers to work closely with the ship as part of ABB’s Integrated Marine Operations solution. Advanced advisory software for motion monitoring, forecasting and decision support will also be on board. The vessel will also feature to DP3 dynamic positioning technology.

 

Kleven’s CEO, Ståle Rasmussen, described the shipbuilding order as a “large and very important contract for Kleven, in a time where shipbuilding contracts in general are few.” He said, “Adding to our orderbook yet another contract for markets outside the traditional offshore segment is also of great importance.”

 

Other contributors to the project include a number of local suppliers from the maritime cluster on the Norwegian northwest coast, including Brunvoll, Hareid Group and ABB Marine in Ulsteinvik.