Page 41: of Marine Technology Magazine (January 2013)

Wärtsilä signed a contract for the design of a new diving support vessel (DSV) to be built for Subsea 7. The new VS 4725 DSV design was created by Wärtsilä Ship Design speci cally for this vessel, which will be built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) ship- yard in Korea. The contract was signed with HHI in December, and the vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2015. The vessel is intended for North Sea diving operations on a year round ba- sis. In customizing the design of such a complex vessel, close co-operation between Subsea 7, HHI, Drass Energy, the diving equipment supplier, and Wärtsilä was essential. The DSV is to be equipped with the latest integrated diving equipment, while a 3-split engine and propulsion con guration for redundancy. Under this con guration, the systems relating to the generator sets, propulsion ma-chinery, thrusters, electrical controls and all related auxiliary equipment, are divided into three sections. In addition to the excellent redundancy, this also ensures a high ERN (Environmental Regularity Number) score, while limit- ing the failure risk. In a worst case fail- ure scenario, most of the generator sets and thrusters will remain in operation. ?The operational pro le of the vessel forms the basis for every Wärtsilä ship design. By working closely with the owners and operators to reach a com- plete understanding of their needs, we can design vessels that are both eco- nomically and environmentally sound, but moreover, ful ls the demands and requirements of our clients. Our more than 50 years of experience provides, of course, a solid foundation for our design solutions, and working with highly professional partners, such as Subsea 7 and HHI, is always a plea- sure,? says Riku-Pekka Hägg, Vice President Wärtsilä Ship Design. ?The development of the Wärtsilä VS 4725 DSV, the development of the dive system by Drass, and the overall design and building by HHI is the result of good co-operation between all the par- ties involved. Wärtsilä Ship Design?s willingness and ability to adapt to the speci c requirements and standards needed were key considerations in the award of this contract,? said Mr Stuart Smith, Vice President for Technology and Asset Development, Subsea 7. Subsea 7 DSV Design Goes to Wärtsilä www.seadiscovery.com MTR #1 (34-49).indd 41MTR #1 (34-49).indd 412/1/2013 1:53:46 PM2/1/2013 1:53:46 PM