LAUNCH & DELIVERY Wight lightning


Hybrid diesel-electric power is a key feature of the largest vessel introduced to date by Solent ferry operator Wightlink. David Tinsley reports


the Isle of Wight and the English mainland, the £30 million (US$40 million) hybrid ro-pax ferry Victoria of Wight entered service in Q3 aſter a two-week shakedown, following delivery from Turkey. Wightlink’s latest fleet addition combines


S


diesel-electric plant with battery technology, enabling power to be closely matched to actual needs across the complete operating profile, and absorbing many of the load fluctuations by using the battery packs. Energy storage capacity is sufficient to allow the main gensets to be switched off when in port, resulting in zero exhaust emissions and reduced noise at each end of the route. Constructed by Cemre Shipyard at


Yalova, Turkey, across the Sea of Marmara from Istanbul, Victoria of Wight has been assigned to the Solent crossing between Portsmouth, England and Fishbourne, on the Isle of Wight. Te investment in the newbuild has been complemented by expenditure of £15 million (US$19.5 million) on new two-tier loading and unloading berths in both ports, and by


etting new standards in energy efficiency and environmental compatibility in the traffic between


the extension of the upper car deck of 2001-built running mate St Clare. Bids for the newbuild project were


invited from more than 50 shipyards around the world, including the UK. Wightlink received 22 tenders and shortlisted five yards in Turkey, Spain and Croatia before awarding the contract to Cemre.


nhaned effieny UK consultancy Houlder was responsible for the concept design and production of a technical requirements document, which included reviewing propulsion and fuelling options in line with Wightlink’s brief. A prime stipulation was enhanced


efficiency and a reduced carbon footprint relative to other vessels of similar size. Once the shipbuilding contract was awarded, Houlder went on to act as the owner’s representative and technical advisor, a role which also encompassed plan approval on the shipyard’s detailed design and drawings. Victoria of Wight has a maximum


payload of 178 vehicles and 1,170 passengers, and her intensive schedule calls for up to 20 crossings per day on the Solent, manoeuvring within the


confines of Wootton Creek on the island side of the route.


oer and proplson Wärtsilä was entrusted with providing the ferry’s power and propulsion system, plus the associated technical and project management and integration engineering services. Te four gensets comprising the diesel-electric installation are based on 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 20-series medium-speed engines, and are rated 1,200kW/1,140kWe apiece. Te integrated automation system, power and energy management system and 690V main switchboard also fell within Wärtsilä’s scope of supply. Canadian green craft tech specialist


Corvus Energy was selected to provide the lithium ion-based energy storage system (ESS), using its Orca Energy solution. There are two sets of battery racks, to meet the main objective of storing and discharging energy in conjunction with the generators. Wightlink advises Ship & Boat International that the systems were originally to be sized 350kWh each, but this was subsequently expanded to 467kWh, giving a total capacity of 934kWh.


Victoria of Wight ptred salng from Gnharf ortsmoth U the -pa ferry hosts h of battery poer


18


Ship & Boat International November/December 2018


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60