Page 50: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 2016)

EYE ON DESIGN

SKF Tech on World’s Most Powerful LNG Carriers

A series of SKF innovations in the propulsion units on ice-breaking

LNG tankers help out in the harshest conditions.

SKF is helping to enhance the reliability and reduce the life cycle cost of propulsion units that will drive the most powerful lique? ed natural gas (LNG) carriers in the world. The Azipod propulsion units, developed by ABB, are being installed on the 170,000-cu. m. ice-breaking LNG tankers that will be used as part of the Yamal project to open up gas from the Yamal peninsula and transport it to Asia and Europe. The project, which will see the ? rst vessels commissioned in South Korea in 2016, is expected to produce 16.5 million metric tonnes of

LNG per year. However, this does not come with- out its own unique set of challenges as the Yamal peninsula is located inside the Arctic Circle and is locked in ice for most of the year. ABB Marine chose to work with SKF on the development of its

Azipod propulsion units for 10 LNG carriers be- cause of its application engineering expertise, par- ticularly in demanding applications. Included in

SKF’s offering are custom made thrust bearing ar- rangements, which incorporate housing and seals, and high performance self-aligning CARB toroidal roller bearings for the propeller shafts. In addition,

SKF is providing assembly and installation super- vision in the ABB Marine factory. In addition to the bearing arrangements supplied for the Yamal ves- sels, SKF has also delivered Turbulo Bilge water separators and SKF BlueMon, an environmental monitoring system for recording and mapping ship emissions.

www.skf.com

Malikai TLP Float-Off in Malaysia

InterMoor completed its involvement in the Shell Malikai Tension Leg Plat- form (TLP) ? oat-off operations. The TLP was loaded onto the Dock- wise Heavy Lift Vessel White Marlin at Malaysia Marine and

Heavy Engineering (MMHE) shipyard in Pasir Gudang, Ma- laysia, and transported to a ? oat-off location in the Singapore

Straits. Contracted by TMJV, a joint venture between Tech- nip and MMHE Shipyard, InterMoor Pte was responsible for the marine aspects of the ? oat-off and tow of Shell’s Malikai

TLP through the Johor Straits into the Singapore Straits and to a ? oat-off location for various nearshore commissioning tasks to be per- formed, prior to return to the shipyard. The work scope also included engineer- ing analysis and procedures, project management for the nearshore operations, management of chartered vessels, provision of offshore personnel and various ancillary services. Inter-

Moor also subcontracted Acteon sister company UTEC to provide survey and positioning for the TLP and marine spread. The offshore operation was completed safely and without incident in April this year.

The TLP will be installed at the Malikai ? eld in a water depth of approximately 600 m.

50 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JULY 2016

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