Farstad Shipping is one of the major global players in the upper egment of offshore support vessels. They operate 29 AHTS and 24 PSV, plus one OCV. (We also have four large AH new builds UT731CD for delivery from this June until April 2010)They are also one of the leading companies in the Norwegian Maritime Center of Expertise in Møre.
Børge Nakken, Head of the Corporate Project Department at Farstad Shipping head quarters in Ålesund, Norway thinks that the North Sea offshore market is the prime driving factor in the innovation and developments that are seen in the Norwegian maritime cluster. Innovations start there and are proven in the harsh environment of the North Sea and then move on to waters for example in the Far East or Africa after a few years, where they are still considered leading edge, making room in the North Sea for new innovations. Many innovations are pushed by ever-more demanding safety standards from charterers in the offshore industry. PSVs with automatic bulk hose connection systems that keep people out of harm’s way. Safe deck anchor handlers that ease the work on deck, just to name a few of such innovations.
Another driver is of course fuel consumption and emissions. High fuel prices in recent years made many owners and designers look closely at improvements to hull designs, main power consumers and engines that would reduce consumption. This has the good side-effect of reducing CO2 emissions as well, so often innovation that’s good for the bottom line is also good for the environment.
Farstad recently took delivery of the Far Samson, with its hybrid propulsion system, the most powerful offshore vessel ever built. Developed in close cooperation with Rolls-Royce, the vessel, with a world record continuous bollard pull of 423 tonnes using all three auxiliary thrusters and 377 tonnes under main propellers alone, features a number of new, innovative technologies that set new operational standards.
The multi-purpose vessel is designed to carry out heavy ploughing operations for trenching of pipes and cables on the seabed, subsea installation work in ultra-deep water, ROV operations, towing and other challenging operations. The vessel, fitted with special ploughs, is capable of ploughing to a trench depth of 2.5m in the seabed in water up to 1,000m deep.
The vessel, large at 121,5m long, has a hull strengthened to Ice Class 1B, plus Delce Class for operation in iced waters and harsh conditions. The vessel is also built to strict Comfort class (V3) (C3) rules, which are normally only applied to cruise ships. With capacity for 100 people in 22 single cabins and suites and 39 double cabins, the high standard was necessary. In high stress operations, it’s also a question of safety—the crew needs their rest.
The Far Samson features two working deck levels, which means the winches are out of the area where people normally are working, increasing safety significantly for those working on deck. On the top deck is a track system with two moveable transportation skids which were built by AxTech. These allow for safe and efficient exchange and deployment of the two massive ploughs offshore. Previously, the main plough would be used first and then Far Sovereign, the modified AHTS vessel previously used for these ploughing operations, would have to go ashore for change to the backfill plough, then come back and reposition over the trench. The new design for the Far Samson was based on the extensive operational experience in such operations with the Far Sovereign. When the main plough on board Far Samson is not in use, it is housed in a large hangar on deck. This way, it can be maintained under cover, thereby increasing the safety and comfort of the crew.
The hybrid propulsion system—combining diesel-electric and diesel-mechanical engines gives not only optimal operating flexibility and redundancy, but fuel economy and minimum greenhouse gas emissions. To meet IMO DP3 requirements, the machinery is split between two engine rooms separated by a longitudinal watertight fire bulkhead.
A double deck bridge layout is another distinctive feature of the vessel. The navigation wheelhouse, designed by Rolls-Royce UT-Design according to Naut OSV A notation, features a semicircular bridge front and main forward-facing control station for transit. At the aft, with a clear view over the deck and the area around the ship itself is the manoeuvring console. One deck below is another set of consoles with a good view over the deck, from which ploughing, crane, A-frame and at some occations DP3 operations are controlled.
Additionally, Farstad is cooperating closely with Rolls-Royce in the HeMoS (equipment health monitoring system) project on the Far Searcher. Rolls-Royce installed hundreds of additional sensors during the construction of the one-year-old vessel, monitoring all sorts of parameters in order to be able to gather data for condition-based maintenance. The data feeds into Rolls Royce’s computer in Ulsteinvik and they are able to advise Farstad when maintenance is needed, as well as assisting in adjusting ideal operational parameters for equipment based on practical experience.
Having the data from actual practical experience makes for more efficient operation on both sides it’s invaluable for Rolls-Royce in their design process as well as development of new innovations and invaluable for Farstad to know, for example, the variable working conditions for thrusters. It enables all parties to make minor improvements which can have a big effect.
The main factors Farstad considers in contracting new vessels today are consumption, emissions, redundancy and safety. Together with their partners, they are leading the way and willing to take risks on innovations that show great promise for improvements of those factors.
The design innovations represented by the Far Samson have input from many sources, but primarily Farstad’s own operational data and years of experience, as well as close cooperation with clients and supply chain partners. Farstad also takes a long-term view when designing specifications for such a vessel—they look at the lifetime costs, not just DRC (perhaps ypu should use full words as many people may not know what this means). They engage in close cooperation with their charterers and sub-contractors. They are looking to be the best and be competitive without compromising on operational quality and a safe and efficient operation.