Far Solitaire Wins SMM's "Ship of The Year Award" For Chemical Compliance

On the picture from left: Martijn Peter De Jongh, Designer Rolls-Royce, StÃ¥le Synes, Captain, Steinar NerbÃ¸vik, Yard Director of STX OSV Langsten, Sverre A. Farstad, Chairman of the Board of Farstad Shipping ASA. Image via SMM facebook

Farstad Shipping’s new PSV Far Solitaire was today named the recipient vessel of the prestigious Ship of the Year 2012 award at the SMM conference in Hamburg, Germany.

The vessel is basically a chemical tanker with the body of a platform supply vessel, specially designed to meet the increasing demand for the oil and gas industry’s transport of noxious liquid substances (NLS products) to and from offshore installations. Handling NLS products can be extremely hazardous and transportation is subject to strict regulations. Therefore, the vessel is IBC Code 2 compliant so it can carry more than 1,600 cubic metres of NLS products at the time, which is about double the capacity of conventional PSVs.

“Far Solitaire is the first PSV developed and built as an IBC Code 2 (chemical tanker) compliant offshore supply vessel, which is the main reason why the jury elected this vessel as Ship of the Year 2012,” the jury said in its ruling. Adding, “The vessel is capable of undertaking all aspects of offshore oilfield services, including transportation of unlimited quantities of noxious liquid substances. During the project development it has been paid strong focus to the impact on the environment the construction and operation of this vessel would cause through its lifespan.”

Other features highlighted by the jury are her wave-piercing bow design, the development of a new cargo rail crane concept for PSVs and the introduction of the frequency converter for the swing up thruster as power supply for shore power.

The Far Solitaire is a good testament to the close-knit maritime “cluster” in western Norway. The vessel is of UT 754 WP design developed by Farstad Shipping in close cooperation with Rolls Royce Marine Ship Technology Offshore and is built by STX OSV Langsten Yard in Tomrefjord, Norway. DNV (Det Norske Veritas) has also given important contributions in guidance and approvals.

“We are building on the strong maritime traditions still existing along the coast of Norway, and the local commitment to innovation has created the foundation for the unique position Norwegian offshore companies enjoy globally,” says Karl-Johan Bakken, CEO of Farstad Shipping.

Far Solitaire is designed and built to include a number of innovations in addition to its liquid cargo handling capabilities. The vessel’s hull shape has Rolls Royce’s “wave piercing” bow design, which provides better seakeeping capabilities, increased comfort and reduced fuel consumption. Other innovations include a new dual draglink cargo rail crane concept, engine and switchboard configuration to optimize fuel consumption, in addition to a new generation electric shore connection which will increase the utilization of renewable energy when the vessel is alongside in port.

Far Solitaire is expected to be delivered to Farstad Shipping in early October 2012. So for now, Farstad’s CEO is concerned with securing the best crew possible.

“Regardless of technological development, the people on board are our most important resource,” Bakken says. “Qualified and competent employees are becoming more and more important as vessels become more complex and advanced. Our ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees is the key to our success.”

Farstad Shipping was also awarded the Ship of the Year Award in 2009 for the subsea vessel Far Samson.

About Far Solitaire

Built at STX OSV Langsten Yard and will be delivered to Farstad Shipping beginning October 2012. The hull is built by STX OSV Tulcea in Romania.
Main vessel parameters are length over all 91.60 metres, beam 22.00 metres, cargo deck area 1020 square metres and deadweight 5700 metric tonnes.
Designed according to requirements for chemical tankers (IBC Code 2 Compliant), defined by international Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk.
Holds capacity to transport more than 1600 cubic metres of NLS products.
Dedicated deep well pumps in all cargo tanks for NLS products rather than the conventional solution with common cargo pumps in pump room.
As the first vessel, it was decided to implement the new Rolls Royce “Wave Piercing” bow design, increasing comfort on board and reducing fuel consumption.
New cargo rail crane concept, having a dual draglink crane on SB side cargo rail, covering the full length of the cargo deck giving increased work area and stable horizontal movement.
Three main engines in combination with diesel electric propulsion, main electric switchboard split in three separate units and three separate thrusters forward have several advantages: transit at economic speed with one engine efficiently running at the time, utilising optimal fuel consumption and efficient operation of selective catalytic converters.
A new generation electric shore connection has been developed, where shore power of any voltage and frequency can be used independently or continuously in parallel with the diesel generators. The result is increased utilisation of renewable energy when the vessel is alongside in port.
Deck illumination is based on energy saving LED fixtures.