The main power generation and power conversion system for a new 103.16m Antarctic Support Vessel being built for the Brazilian Navy has been ordered by Brazil’s Estaleiro Jurong Aracruz shipyard from Wärtsilä.
The new Polar Vessel – Navio Polar Almirante Saldanha (NPo) – will be operated by the Brazilian Navy and is of strategic importance for maintaining the Brazilian presence in the Antarctic continent and ensuring the continuity of the scientific research that has been carried out at the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station.
The full Wärtsilä scope for the vessel includes three Wärtsilä 32 diesel generating sets, a diesel-electric power conversion system and two bow thruster drive systems, as well as the Power Management System. Wärtsilä’s low emission energy efficient solution is designed for optimum performance, high redundancy and availability, thanks to long times between overhauls and low fuel consumption.
Maicon Batista Pinto – Project Manager –Navio Polar, NPo said: “With the company’s long-standing and extensive experience in marine technology, we trust Wärtsilä to deliver high quality and reliability in all their products and systems. These specialised vessels require superior performance, and we are confident that the Wärtsilä solutions selected will meet this requirement.”
Simon Riddle, GM Naval Sales, Wärtsilä, said: “We are very proud that Jurong has put their trust in Wärtsilä to be the supplier of this extensive solution for the Antarctic Support Vessel. Thanks to Wärtsilä’s advanced technologies, the overall Wärtsilä solution has been optimised to provide the best possible efficiency for the Brazilian Navy’s operations. This efficiency will also minimise emissions, which is in line with our core strategy of enhancing sustainability wherever possible.”
The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard commencing in 2024 and the vessel is expected to be commissioned in 2025.
