SCHOTTEL Secures NC Ferries Contract
SCHOTTEL said it has secured a contract to provide propulsion units for two new vehicle ferries ordered by North Carolina’s Department of Transportation, which operates the second largest state-run ferry system in the United States.
The US-flag vessels designed by Elliott Bay Design Group are under construction at Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, La., and will be equipped with a total of nine SCHOTTEL Twin Propellers type STP 150 L. The ferries are scheduled for delivery in 2020.
Each of the electrically driven ferries will be equipped with four twin propellers type STP 150 L with a propeller diameter of 1,05 m. The 250 kW STP features the proven SCHOTTEL Twin Propeller concept, being especially suitable for vessels or applications with limited installation space, draught or propeller clearance. By sharing the load between two propellers, this concept increases propulsion efficiency and reduces fuel consumption over single propeller systems. Furthermore, the low-loaded propellers lead to reduced noise emissions and pressure pulses, making the system the ideal solution for passenger vessels.
In order to further improve the serviceability of the thrusters, both ferries will be equipped with the SCHOTTEL Condition Monitoring System S-COM SMART. It is used to measure various machine parameters of SCHOTTEL propulsion systems. All parameters are recorded in a data logger aboard the vessel. S-COM SMART enables condition-based maintenance, which can lead to significant cost savings compared to conventional maintenance methods. SCHOTTEL offers planning, configuration and implementation of the system. A report informs regularly on all important machine conditions, so that spare parts can be ordered prematurely before an eventual failure occurs.
About 800,000 vehicles and 1.8 million passengers cross the rivers and sounds of Eastern North Carolina each year. The 59 m long and 14 m wide vessels will replace the smaller Hatteras-class ferries that currently serve North Carolina. They will be capable of carrying 40 vehicles, seven-person crews, and 300 passengers.