New Voith propeller for special offshore vessel

Voith has developed a new marine propulsion system for installation into a special vessel used for offshore wind farm service.

The Voith Radial Propeller (VRP) is rated at 5.5mW and has progressed from concept to contract in 18 months.

The contract, which was signed last week with Strabag, covers the delivery of five propellers for a special vessel by February 2011. The vessel will consequently be capable of transporting concrete foundations weighing over 7000 tonnes and positioning them in open seas.

The concrete platforms will be lowered onto the bottom of the sea by special crane. The advantage of these heavyweight foundations is that they do not require anchoring.

Weighing over 80 tonnes and measuring approximately eight metres in height, the Voith Radial Propellers aim to ensure sufficiently fast propulsion and accurate positioning, even in bad weather and rough conditions.
 

Source: Baird Maritime