Rolls-Royce powers world’s fastest offshore crew transfer vessels

• Sea trials demonstrate maximum speed exceeding 53 knots under operational load
• Each of the three ships is powered by four 16-cylinder mtu Series 2000 engines
• 35-meter ships are designed as “Surface Effect Ships” (SES)

The Singapore shipbuilder Strategic Marine has commissioned a series of three new offshore supply vessels with a maximum speed of over 53 knots - the fastest of their kind in the world. Each vessel is powered by four 16-cylinder mtu Series 2000M72 engines from Rolls-Royce. The vessels will be used by a national oil company in Africa for passenger transfer to offshore platforms and Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessels.

To enable fast and safe passenger transfer to offshore platforms, the 35-meter-long vessels have been designed as so-called “Surface Effect Ships” (SES). SES uses air-cushion technology within a catamaran hull form. This design was used for the first time in the offshore oil and gas industry.

The boats have an optimized power-to-weight ratio and use powerful fans to generate an air cushion between the hulls that minimizes hull drag and resistance. Combined with the mtu propulsion package (each delivering 5,760 kW of power), the vessels can travel at much higher speeds than conventional monohulls and catamarans, with consumption remaining at the same per hour of operations. The high speed of well over 50 knots (more than 90 km/h) ensures shorter transit times, while the low hull resistance saves fuel and reduces emissions.

“Our goal in building these crew transport vessels was to minimize the water resistance at the hulls and maximise the cruising and top speed of the ship. The 53-knot top speed during the sea trials demonstrates that we were successful in building and commercialising this technology for offshore crew transfer applications. mtu engines have made a significant contribution thanks to their unique power-to-weight ratio,” explained Chan Eng Yew, CEO from Strategic Marine.

“We are extremely proud that our mtu propulsion package has helped to develop this new and extraordinary type of vessel,” said Denise Kurtulus, Senior Vice President Global Marine at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “The excellent power-to-weight ratio and long maintenance intervals of over 12,000 hours were crucial factors in the selection of our engines. These product benefits will help us achieve our strategic goal of increasing our share of the commercial marine market.”

This video shows how a surface effect vessel works: AIRCAT 35 Crewliner