Norway-based TMC Compressors has secured a contract from Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore to supply marine compressed air systems for two subsea rock installation vessels being built for Dutch marine contractor Van Oord.
Under the contract, TMC will provide a complete marine compressed air system for each vessel, including instrument air compressors and air dryers. Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.
The vessels are being built to support subsea rock installation operations, a technique used to protect and stabilize offshore energy infrastructure, including assets linked to offshore wind developments.
"It is always fun and interesting to equip innovative and unique vessels such as these two. They can play an important role in facilitating the energy transition through enabling, amongst other things, offshore wind projects," said Hans-Petter Tanum, TMC’s director of sales and business development.
The new vessels will have a loading capacity of 35,000 tonnes, be capable of handling large rock sizes and feature a DP-2 dynamic positioning system designed to maintain vessel position in challenging offshore conditions.
According to TMC, the vessels are designed for long-distance projects, reducing round trips and lowering emissions and costs per installed rock volume. Their design includes multi-fuel engines capable of operating on biofuel and methanol, a DC-grid with large battery storage capacity, and an energy-efficient hull and rock handling system.
Van Oord operates a fleet of 61 vessels, including three subsea rock installation vessels, and has been active in subsea rock installation since the 1970s.