Mainprize Offshore Limited (Mainprize) has ordered two further Cat C32 ACERT engines from Finning Power Systems (Finning) to power its latest newbuild offshore wind farm vessel.
The company, which was established in 1979, has relied on the performance of Finning Cat engines for its entire working history. This includes the engine installation in its original flagship vessel, the Maggie M, which was repowered in 2011 with a new Cat 3508 engine.
Following a period of significant growth, Mainprize recently ordered two 25-metre multi-purpose offshore wind farm and support vessels, the first of which, the MO1, was commissioned in April 2014. In less than eight months of operation, the twin Cat C32 engines have proved their reliability and low cost of ownership, leading the company to order a second set for its next vessel, the MO2, due to be delivered in May this year.
Company owner, Bob Mainprize explains his vessel power requirements and the reasons for investing in the latest Finning Cat ACERT technology:
“We have been involved in the wind farm industry from its earliest days, providing contract hire services for survey work, crew transfer, risk assessments and operations and maintenance requirements.
“To ensure that we can support our customers’ requirements; whether it is for emergency response, support or standby, it’s essential that our vessels are readily available and that we can prove their performance capabilities and reliability.
“We typically transport 12 passengers at a time, although we can take up to 50 and in an average day, we will transfer around 70 passengers. We work to tight turnaround times and therefore, need complete confidence in the power system provided by the Cat engines.
“A further consideration is engine operation, especially when undertaking wind farm support work. We need to be able to transfer crews to the farms as quickly as possible and then hold the vessel in place as people disembark safely.
“This means that we spend just one or two per cent of a 12-14 hour day operating above 80% power rating, with the majority of our time spent with the vessel operating below 60% rated speed or even idling.This places specific requirements on the duty rating of the engine as we need it to be able to operate normally at more than one load. Finning is able to supply D-rated, intermittent duty engines to meet our specific demands, providing an alternative to the torque convertors and multi-speed transmissions common in other propulsion systems.
“For any operators, diesel costs are also of prime concern as the amount of fuel consumed will directly impact bottom line profitability. The intelligent ACERT technology in the Cat engines optimises fuel consumption, especially when we are operating at part load."
The twin Cat C32 engine vessel has a top speed of 30 knots with a D-rating of 1194 bkW (1600 bhp) at 2300 rpm. Utilising Cat’s proven ACERT technology, the C32 is designed to provide optimum power without comprising long life and durability and meets all current marine emission regulations
About the new MO2 vessel
The MO2 is a 25-metre, multi-purpose offshore wind farm and support vessel, also suitable for guard and cargo work. The hydrofoil supported catamaran design is designed to take up to 50 passengers and four crew members and its 150 m2 deck space can carry up to 20 tons of cargo.
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