NEWS
Vessel launch and delivery Support cats arrive at
Gladstone QCLNG site Australian designer Incat Crowther and compatriot offshore operator Riverside Marine have deployed two new aluminium catamarans, specifically developed to provide support for the construction and operation of the Curtis Island QCLNG plant in Gladstone, Queensland. Te duo, Riverside Catalina and Riverside Mandalay, was launched by Marine Engineering Consultants and delivered to Gladstone in late December 2012. Each cat features a length of 33.4m, a width of 9.5m
and a depth of 2.75m, and has been configured to carry up to three members of crew and 399 passengers whilst maintaining a service speed of 25knots, increasing to 29.8knots max. Power is provided by two Caterpillar C32 main engines, rated at 970kW at 2,100rpm apiece, and jointly driving a pair of five-bladed, fixed pitch propellers. Te cats also feature boarding ramps, situated aſt and amidships, which have been specially designed to integrate with the harbour docks at Gladstone, and each has a fuel capacity of 8,000litres and a fresh water capacity equalling 1,000litres. According to Incat Crowther, the vessels can also be
adapted to serve as passenger ferries, thereby increasing their scope for chartering arrangements and providing them with a potential lifespan beyond the Curtis Island QCLNG project. An alternative seating arrangement has been factored into the vessels’ structures, which would create more interior space and reduce passenger capacity.
with high-voltage supply aboard vessels of this type. Te guide reportedly includes sections dedicated to high voltage safety requirements, including training and risk assessment, as well as an overview of procedures to be observed when dealing with these system types, includ- ing guidance on drawing up ship safety plans regard- ing high-voltage enclosed entry, work on high-voltage equipment and earthing. Jane Bugler, IMCA technical director, says: “As
the demand for electrical power increases on vessels, especially on large offshore construction vessels with diesel electric propulsion installations, the supply current becomes too high for efficient and practical use of the usual shipboard 3-phase voltage supply of 440 Volts (V) AC. To reduce the level of running currents and fault current levels, it is necessary to specify a higher system voltage for the higher power-rated equipment.” Te document also attempts to lay out a clear defini-
tion of what constitutes ‘high voltage’. Bugler adds: “In marine practice, voltages below 1kV AC are consid- ered LV [low voltage]; HV [high voltage] is any voltage above 1kV. Typical marine HV system voltages are 3.3kV, 6.6kV and 11kV.” Te document can be ordered from IMCA’s website.
Careers Western Australian LNG
fuels jobs boom LNG could prove a welcome stimulus for the Austral- ian economy, with the Western Australian Depart- ment of Mines and Petroleum (DWP) publishing a report claiming that demand for labour in the country’s burgeoning LNG sector could create “thousands” of jobs, primarily in Western Australia. According to the DWP, this uptake will be necessary
Riverside Catalina, one of the 33.4m loa support catamaran duo, can transport 399 passengers at 25knots
over the course of the next five years, particularly as many LNG developments shiſt from the construction to the operational phase. LNG was recorded as the most valuable petroleum product in the state between 2011 and 2012, during which the value of LNG sales increased by 15% compared to the previous financial year. At present, just over 5,800 workers are reckoned to be directly employed within offshore marine / LNG processing jobs within the state, the report claims.
Safety High-voltage safety
guide released The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has released a free downloadable document, entitled Offshore vessel high-voltage safety, which seeks to address some of the risks and challenges associated
6 Offshore wind farm support vessels Austal seals European
transfer cat deal Australian catamaran builder Austal has secured an order to design and build three wind farm technician transfer vessels for UK operator Turbine Transfers. Te forthcom- ing trio, built to the specifications of Austal’s Wind
Offshore Marine Technology 1st Quarter 2013
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