GEAR | Hamilton waterjets to re-power five WFSVs

GEAR | Hamilton waterjets to re-power five WFSVs

MEPS WEEK

HamiltonJet is currently collaborating with Norway-based Offshore Windservice to convert five vessels from CPP propeller to waterjet propulsion and advanced control technology.

At project completion, all five vessels will feature twin HM721 waterjets coupled with HamiltonJet’s AVX controls.

“It’s the first time these two products have been paired together, and the first time we’ve put waterjets of this size into a wind farm vessel,” commented HamiltonJet CEO, Ben Reed. “It means these boats will really power along.”

For the Offshore Windservice project, HamiltonJet devised a creative solution to retrofit waterjet technology into the existing fleet.

“This clearly shows you don’t have to buy a new boat when a refit meets the brief. It’s the kind of thinking we apply to all our projects and one of the reasons people trust us to get the right result for them,” added Reed.

With one vessel complete and the second underway, Offshore Windservice is progressing the refit at pace.

“We actually ended up installing the waterjets on the first vessel ourselves, and it couldn’t have been easier,” said Billy Thøger Kristensen, Chief Operating Officer at Offshore Windservice.

“We were even more pleased that in the process of replacing the engines, gearboxes and CPP drivelines for new engines, gearboxes and Hamilton waterjets, we’ve saved around five tonnes of weight, including many kilograms of cables, which has significantly reduced the vessel’s draught.

“The speed has significantly increased on what was predicted, while the new set-up has far less vibration and noise than before. It’s resulted in a much more comfortable ride for the crew and turbine engineers. That’s important in a vessel regularly working out at sea for a week at a time,” says Billy Thøger Kristensen.

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Baird Maritime Gear Editor

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