Pod propulsion for wind farm service boat

Offshore wind farm support vessels such as Performer are usually powered by water jet or variable pitch propellers, but this time Northern Offshore Services chose Volvo Penta IPS pods. The vessel went straight into duty at an offshore wind power park south of Denmark and lives up to its name by providing full service speed with a full load and in rough seas.

‘Supply boats for wind farms are a fast growing business, said Anders Alvhede of Volvo Penta. ‘With the new IPS1050 we have a full range of complete pod systems perfectly suited for these boats. The benefits are numerous, with lower fuel consumption, full service speed with full load and great manoeuvrability.’

The multi-functional 16m LOA Performer is able to carry diving equipment, decompression chambers and other equipment. It can carry and transfer 12 passengers as well as and carrying out diving and survey duties. The vessel is equipped with a fixed 142 kVA generator below deck to supply electrical power during the building phase of the wind turbines. It also has bunker tanks to supply diesel fuel.

‘We already have boats with smaller versions of Volvo Penta IPS and they have given us very good service. The main reasons for us specifying Volvo Penta IPS is because we get no reduction of service speed with a fully loaded boat’, said Northern Offshore Services director Martin Landström.

Compared to other propulsion systems, Volvo Penta IPS claims lower fuel consumption, and exhaust emissions are also lower. This partly because of the D13 engines, which have very low emissions, but is mostly due to the fact that as much as one third less fuel is required by the IPS units.

The IPS units also offer joystick docking, a useful function in low speed maneuvering. ‘The joystick is very practical since the helmsman does not have to be built like a spider to handle wheel and controls, but can command the boat with one hand and concentrate on what happens around the boat’, added Martin Landström.

Another useful feature is the Dynamic Positioning System, which holds the boat more or less still in the water, a feature is often used while waiting on site for the next service job.

Another bonus is that Volvo Penta IPS is delivered as a complete system, from helm to props. With no shaft alignment required, installation time is usually greatly reduced for the builder.