Harvey Gulf’s LNG-Fueled Platform Supply Vessels to Add Battery Power

Photo courtesy Wärtsilä

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has been selected to supply the battery power for four retrofitted Harvey Energy class LNG-fuelled Platform Supply Vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico.

The advanced Energy Storage System from Wärtsilä will enable the vessels with tri-fuel operation, making them the most fuel efficient PSVs in the GoM. The boats will be capable of “closed bus” Dynamic Positioning (DP) operation running only one engine augmented by the Wärtsilä Energy Storage System. When stationary in the field or in port, the boats will be able to operate on battery power only, greatly reducing both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

The four vessels, the ‘Harvey Power’, ‘Harvey Liberty’, ‘Harvey Freedom’, and ‘Harvey America’, will each be fitted with a Wärtsilä ESS comprising a Closed Bus-Tie 1360Kw Drive with 746 kWh 1100 VDC Batteries. The retrofitting project will be commenced in 2021 and will be completed in early 2022.

A fifth vessel in the class was previously fitted with a Wärtsilä ESS. Louisiana-based Harvey Gulf placed this latest order with Wärtsilä in October.

“Wärtsilä is very pleased and proud to partner with Harvey Gulf in yet another ground-breaking project bringing technological advancement to the North American marine market. The combination of cutting edge technology, strong customer service, and Harvey Gulf’s market-leading business approach has resulted in a very successful partnership,” says Bill Amundsen, Key Account Manager for Wärtsilä Marine Power.

Built by Gulf Coast Shipyard in Mississippi and delivered in 2015, the MV Harvey Energy was the first platform supply vessel in the Gulf of Mexico to operate on cleaner burning LNG. The class now includes five vessels.

“The conversion to tri-fuel technology is a tremendous addition to our already successful HARVEY ENERGY class PSV’s. Wärtsilä’s advanced technology and its unwavering commitment to service support were extremely important factors in our decision to select them for this project,” said Shane Guidry, Harvey Gulf President and CEO.

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