Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has awarded ABB with a contract to equip a wind farm service operation vessel (SOV) which once built will operate on the Hornsea Project Two offshore wind farm in the UK.
The ABB technology, with the power distribution system Onboard DC GridTM at its core, will allow integration of batteries to the 83-meter SOV’s hybrid power system.
Onboard DC GridTM enables integration of energy sources, such as batteries and fuel cells, and empowers the efficiencies associated with variable speed generator operation, ABB said.
In addition to Onboard DC GridTM, the ABB scope of supply includes tunnel thrusters, generators, transformers, batteries, ABB Ability™ Marine Advisory System – OCTOPUS and ABB’s Remote Diagnostics Services.
ABB will also provide its Power and Energy Management System (PEMS), which allows battery power to act as backup for running generators.
“LDA is positioning itself at the forefront of the wind farm service sector in vessel performance and efficiency,” says Hervé Lapierre , Head of Newbuilding Department at LDA.
“Wind farm service requirements are still evolving, meaning that SOVs built for this market, in addition to being cost-effective, need to also be innovative and flexible.”
Onboard DC GridTM solution enables variable speed technology to dynamically optimize system energy use in line with the load situation, which results in a 20% cut in fuel consumption, ABB said.
The vessel, designed by Salt Ship Design, will be built at Turkey’s Cemre Shipyard with the expected delivery in 2021. Like its predecessor, ordered in 2017 , the second LDA vessel will be on contract with Ørsted. The first SOV will also come equipped with the ABB kit.
“The second order from LDA feels like a validation of the performance, cost efficiency and safety that ABB delivers through its ‘Electric. Digital Connected’ approach, ” said Juha Koskela , Managing Director, ABB Marine & Ports.
The 1,386MW Hornsea Two will be built 89km from the Yorkshire coast and is scheduled for commissioning in 2022 when it will become the largest operating wind farm in the world.