Voith Turbo Marine News

A group of maritime industry and technology experts in Germany is working on a project to unlock remote control capabilities for safer and more efficient harbor tug operations.Backed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the project is being led by Voith in partnership with the Hamburg University of Technology, the Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services, the Federal Office for Hydraulic Engineering, winch and crane manufacturer McGregor…

Spanish shipbuilder Gondan said it received last week at its main facilities in Castropol, Asturias, the first two electric Voith Schneider Propellers (eVSP) ever manufactured. They will be soon installed in the new offshore wind service operation vessel (SOV), being built for Norwegian shipping company Østensjø Rederi A/S.The first eVSP passed the factory acceptance test (FAT) several weeks ago at Voith facilities in Germany. Gondan will be the first shipyard in the world to…

Dr. Dirk Jürgens heads R&D at Voith Turbo Marine, a part of the family owned Voith conglomerate which employs more than 19,000 people in 60 countries. Voith Rudderpropellers were chosen as the propulsion system for the three new Staten Island Ferry vessels, and Dr. Jürgens discusses the evolution of the system.The ‘Voith’ name is a well-known one in the maritime industry, but to start please provide an overview of the product and service you offer to the maritime industry.The…

Voith Turbo, a manufacturer of a wide range of products for the marine industry, said it has completed its first major refurbishment project in a brand new U.K. facility. The complete overhaul of a 26-metric-ton Voith Schneider Propeller (VSP) has been carried out for Red Funnel, the Isle of Wight ferry company based in Southampton, at Voith’s Croydon workshop. The refurbishment follows Voith’s investment in specially designed jigs, fixtures, machinery and lifting equipment capable of handling Voith Schneider propellers, gearboxes and other ancillaries.

Crew transfer vessel operators using the new Voith Linear Jet (VLJ) marine propulsion system can save over £75,000 in fuel costs in a season, the manufacturer claims. The cost saving, around 20 percent, is a key figure from the collection of extensive data from four months’ operation in a range of sea conditions, working at different speeds and with different loadings. The Voith Linear Jet, unveiled last year as a “world first” in marine propulsion technology, combines elements of two existing technologies: conventional screw propellers and water jets.

Voith Turbo Marine Engineering has developed the Voith Offshore Shuttle for wind parks. Installed in the shuttle’s bow is the new MOTS (Momac Offshore Transport System), whose swivel-arm robot was designed to transfer people and goods from vessel to vessel, or from vessel to offshore wind energy plant. Voith Turbo Marine constructed the shuttle in cooperation with Momac, a machine builder that manufactures special purpose machinery, including robot-assisted transfer systems. The Voith Offshore Shuttle’s robot has been fitted with a transport basket with a maximum capacity of 250 kg, and the system was designed to compensate vertical differential movements of up to 3.2 m. Voith’s shuttle also features a Voith Inline Thruster in the bow and two Voith Schneider Propellers in the stern.

The business areas of Voith Schiffstechnik GmbH & C. KG have been incorporated into the Corporate Division “Power Transmission“ of Voith AG – Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG, Heidenheim. In future, the company will be trading under the name Voith Turbo Marine GmbH & Co. KG. Within the Corporate Division “Power Transmission“ Voith Turbo Marine GmbH & Co. KG stands as a separate Market Area “Marine“ among the established Market Areas Industry, Rail and Road. The Executive Vice Presidents of Voith Turbo Marine GmbH & Co. KG are Dr. Jens-Erk Bartels and Christoph W. Stegmaier. The integration of the business field “Marine Technology“ will result in a further expansion of our customer relations and provide us with an even better position as your partners for innovative propulsion systems.

André Körner joins Voith Turbo as its new head of sales as of September 1, 2004. During the last ten years, Körner worked as Senior Sales Manager at Siemens Marine Solutions. Koerner completed a training program in energy plant electronics at Lürssen Shipbuilders in Bremen-Vegesack and worked for a year on the cruise liner MS Columbus “C“.

Norwegian shipowner Østensjø Rederi AS has placed an order with Voith Turbo Marine for two Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP) for a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV), a landmark order for the propulsion manufacturer as this is its first application on this vessel type. Designed by Norway’s Skipsteknis, the vessel will be built in Spain at Astilleros Gondan shipyard. The PSV is scheduled to begin working in the beginning of 2007. The PSV will be Dynamic Positioning (DP II) capable. According to the propulsion manufacturer, a PSV driven by two VSPs requires 10 to 20 percent less power, depending on the load conditions and the sailing speed, helping to save fuel and reduce maintenance. First model test series were carried out at Marintek in Trondheim, Norway, in February 2002.