Alewijnse Diesel-Electric Propulsion for Damen Cable Layer

Systems integrator Alewijnse Marine Systems has been awarded the contract for the full electrical fit out of Damen’s new cable layer, now under construction for international contractor Van Oord for delivery at the end of 2014. The 120m vessel is intended for the installation of electricity cables linking offshore wind farms to the shore. Alewijnse Noord and the Damen Shipyards Group have maintained a close working relationship for a number of years, and this latest contract is the most recent in a series of projects undertaken together.

The cable layer is one of the largest, single ship contracts that Alewijnse has undertaken and is a highly complex and sophisticated project. The main element is the delivery of a full turnkey package for the engineering and installation of the drive and propulsion systems. The vessel will be powered by a diesel-electric system and will incorporate a DP2 dynamic positioning system with two main and three bow thrusters. The ship also has substantial pieces of equipment on board that require high levels of power, including the cable drum and two cranes.

Power will be supplied by a total of five generators: two 2,560 kW generators, two 1,920 kW units and an additional 1,300 kW generator.

The cable layer is an adaptation of Damen’s Offshore Carrier 8500 model. The order was placed by Damen Shipyards Bergum and the build will take place in Romania at Damen Shipyards Galati. The combined skills of Alewijnse Noord and Alewijnse Marine Galati, working in close cooperation, deliver a powerful capability that will ensure that this exciting project is completed successfully.

Engineering for the vessel is already underway.

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