Four OCVs ordered by unnamed European firm

German propulsion system firm Schottel has been contracted to supply the systems, which it says ‘are very specific due to the need to operate offshore at depths of up to 3,000 metres in complex sea conditions’.

The vessels will be used for oil and gas as well as offshore renewable energy such as wind by the ‘undisclosed first-class European owner’, Schottel says.

Order details

Two Schottel Dynamic Rudder Propellers, with an input power of 2,700kW, have been ordered for each vessel, with the SRP 610 DL type containing azimuth thrusters in a compact design with integrated prime mover Embedded L-Drive and an eight-degree tilted propeller shaft, ‘resulting in less thruster-thruster and thruster-hull interation’.

Each vessel will also have its main propulsion supplemented by a 1,500kW retractable rudder propeller type SRP-R 380 in the bow, equipped with an eight-degree tilted propeller shaft for increased efficiency.

Finally, each vessel will have two additional transverse 2.050kW thrusters in the bow to provide even greater manoeuvrability.

The vessels are of a new Salt design, the Salt 308 OCV, with a deck area of 1,150m².

“We would like to thank all project partners for the confidence they have placed in Schottel to equip this series of OCVs with our thrusters,” says Roland Schwandt, Deputy CEO of Schottel. “The propulsion package of five thrusters per vessel will provide the future operator with the very best technology available on the market for dynamic positioning in heavy duty offshore applications.”

The first vessel is due to be delivered in 2026 by the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group.